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Erling Haaland returned to Norway as a national hero after a team to remember FIFA World Cup campaign, but it was not only the attacker who attracted everyone’s attention. As the Norwegian team arrived home to a rousing welcome, Haaland was spotted exiting the team plane carrying a stuffed raccoon, a picture that quickly went viral on social media.The Manchester City star accepted the joke. Reacting to the now-famous pictures of Xu, Haaland wrote: “It followed me home,” adding a raccoon emoji and a smiling face emoji.He didn’t stop there.Haaland also asked fans to help him name his unusual companion via an Instagram Stories poll, offering four choices: “Cowboy”, “Ranger”, “TEX” and “ROW (raccoon on wheels)”, the latter seemingly a playful nod to Norway’s viral “Viking Row” celebration that has become one of the defining moments for fans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The lighthearted moment came when Norway were given a hero’s welcome at home. More than 100,000 fans lined the streets of Oslo, turning the Norwegian capital into a sea of red, white and blue to celebrate the team’s historic campaign. The celebration reached a fitting climax when Crown Prince Haakon led one final “Viking Row” celebration, beating drums as the players and thousands of fans joined in unison, bringing the curtain down on Norway’s unforgettable World Cup journey.
Erling Haaland’s unforgettable World Cup campaign
In his FIFA World Cup debut, Erling Haaland signed with 7 goals in 6 games. He did not receive a single yellow card, he recorded as many as 14 shots on goal.
| opponent | the stage | Result | achieve | Performance by Erling Haaland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | Group stage | won | 4-1 | 2 goals |
| Senegal | Group stage | won | 3-2 | 2 goals |
| France | Group stage | lost | 1-4 | Rested (did not play) |
| Ivory Coast | Round of 16 | won | 2-1 | 1 goal |
| Brazil | Round of 16 | won | 2-1 | 2 goals |
| England | Quarterfinals | Lost (AET) | 1-2 | Played 105 minutes (0 goals) |
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