Erling Haaland's substitute World Cup trophy: A taxidermy raccoon
Soccer star Erling Haaland gained viral attention after being spotted with a taxidermy raccoon purchased from a Dallas western store following Norway's World Cup run. The store owner noted a surge in interest for the unique item, which has since sold out.
Why it matters
This story illustrates the intersection of celebrity culture, social media trends, and the economic impact of viral marketing on small businesses.
Hear this story Norway striker and internet sensation Erling Haaland was spotted with a curious-looking critter as he disembarked from his national football team's flight to Oslo after their crushing World Cup loss to England.
Haaland was carrying what looked like a raccoon holding a bottle of booze as he left the plane on Monday, July 13.
It turns out Haaland was carrying a " Whiskey Raccoon " from the Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas, where the 25-year-old soccer star and other members of the Norway traveling party stopped following the team's 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 last month.
"It followed me home," Haaland wrote in an X post on July 13 . He then asked his followers to help name the figure in an Instagram story , with the options Cowboy, Ranger, TEX and R.O.W., short for Raccoon On Wheels.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in