Watch: Erling Haaland arrives home with ‘raccoon’ and breaks silence on viral sidekick

Erling Haaland arrives in Norway (Image: X) Erling Haaland returned to Norway as a national hero after a forgettable World Cup campaign, but it wasn’t just the striker who caught everyone’s attention. As the Norwegian squad arrived home to a rousing reception, Haaland was spotted exiting the team plane with a stuffed raccoon, a picture that quickly went viral on social media.The Manchester City star took the joke as his own. Responding to the now-famous images on X, Haaland wrote: “It followed me home,” adding a raccoon emoji and a laughing face emoji.He didn’t stop there.Haaland also asked fans to help name his unusual companion via an Instagram Stories poll, offering four options: “Cowboy”, “Ranger”, “TEX” and “ROW (raccoon on wheels)”, a seemingly playful nod to Norway’s viral “Viking Row” celebration, which has become one of the defining fan moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.A light moment came when Norway received a hero’s welcome back home. More than 100,000 fans filled the streets of Oslo, turning the Norwegian capital into a sea of ​​red, white and blue to celebrate the team’s historic campaign. The celebrations reached a fitting climax when Crown Prince Haakon led one final ‘Viking Row’ celebration, beating drums as the players and thousands of supporters joined in unity, bringing the curtain down on Norway’s unforgettable World Cup journey.

Erling Haaland’s memorable World Cup campaign

Erling Haaland scored 7 goals in 6 matches on his FIFA World Cup debut. He did not pick up a single yellow card, scoring 14 shots on goal. They will opposePhaseResultScoreErling Haaland’s performanceIraqGroup won4–12 goals Senegal won the group3–22 goals FranceGroup StageLost1–4Rested (did not play) Ivory Coast Round with 32 wins2–11 goal Brazil, round of 162–12 goals, England, quarter-final, lost (AET)1–2105 minutes played (0 goals)