Norway’s World Cup run ended in bitter disappointment with a quarterfinal defeat to England, but Erling Haaland still managed to leave the 2026 tournament as one of its most colorful figures.
The striker was one of the stars of the competition on the field, scoring seven goals, and became a social media favorite off it, inspiring countless memes and imitations. Now his trip home has also gone viral, after he was photographed at Oslo airport with a particularly bizarre souvenir.
Haaland returns home with bizarre raccoon souvenir
(Photo: Jan Langhaug / NTB / AFP)
Haaland returned to Norway carrying a stuffed raccoon, reportedly holding a whiskey bottle. Online users quickly identified the item, and reports said it was bought in Texas for about $750.
“Only Haaland could make carrying a stuffed raccoon look normal,” one user wrote on X. “This is probably the best afterlife the raccoon could have asked for,” another joked. “He doesn’t just collect trophies on the field, but crazy souvenirs off it too,” a third user wrote. “His offseason is simply gold content.”
The story behind the unusual souvenir remains unclear. Fans are now hoping the Norwegian forward will explain it soon on his YouTube channel.