Haaland scores, then dons cowboy gear before unleashing his inner Viking

Norway star striker Erling Haaland shared a series of light-hearted posts on social media after his side secured a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in their Round of 32 clash. Following the victory, Haaland posted two photos of himself on X wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, with the caption, "Howdy!" He also celebrated Norway's progress with a Viking-themed post on X. The 25-year-old shared a picture of himself wearing a Viking horned helmet along with Norway's national team jersey, captioning it with the Norway flag emoji and a red heart emoji. The series of posts did not end there. In another post, Haaland celebrated a personal milestone after becoming the fastest player to score 60 international goals for Norway. Norway edged past Ivory Coast 2-1 in a closely fought FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash, sealing their place in the Round of 16. Haaland found the net in the 86th minute to send Norway through on Tuesday. "I was dead tired, so I thought, 'I can't cope with extra time, so we have to score,'" Haaland told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 after the match. The goal added another memorable moment to Haaland's international career, as his late strike sent Norway into the last 16. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, bowed out of the tournament after a spirited display. The match was also a historic occasion for Ivory Coast, as it marked the nation's first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout fixture. Norway will now face tournament favourites Brazil in the Round of 16.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.