Erling Haaland returns from World Cup with a $750 stuffed raccoon, greeted by 90,000 fans in Oslo
The Norway striker stepped off the team plane in Oslo on Monday clutching a taxidermy raccoon purchased in Dallas, drawing a crowd of nearly 90,000 after his seven-goal World Cup debut.
The return and the souvenir
Erling Haaland arrived back in Norway on Monday after his debut World Cup, carrying a souvenir that immediately captured global attention: a taxidermy raccoon holding an empty bottle of Greenall's wild berry gin. The Manchester City striker was photographed stepping off the plane in Oslo with the animal under his left arm, a scene that swiftly spread across social media. Around 90,000 fans were reported to have gathered in the capital to welcome the team home following their run to the quarter-finals.
It followed me all the way home.
The raccoon, known as the "Whiskey Raccoon" at Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas, Texas, costs approximately $750 (562 pounds, 659 euros). Haaland visited the store during the tournament after Norway's 2-1 round-of-16 win against Ivory Coast at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The purchase was not a gift; store owner Julie Newport confirmed Haaland bought the item himself.
A run to the quarter-finals
Norway's campaign ended on Saturday with a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the quarter-finals. Haaland, aged 25, scored seven goals in five matches during the tournament, a performance that drove Norway to its first-ever World Cup quarter-final appearance. His most notable outing came against Brazil, where he struck twice to propel the team into the next round.
Cultural impact and commercial ripple effects
The souvenir triggered a rush of interest in Wild Bill's Western Store. Newport reported that the store, which has operated in Dallas for nearly 50 years, saw a surge in online orders, including the immediate sale of another raccoon. "We are somewhere around 2,000 online orders," she said. The store added a banner reading "Now shipping internationally" following the attention, having previously never conducted business outside the United States. Haaland's Instagram following grew by more than 22 million during the World Cup, a figure attributed to both his on-pitch displays and off-field personality.
We've had a couple of these taxidermy raccoons in the store for the last few years, and he obviously gravitated to that and a couple of the squirrels. The taxidermy guy that we buy from has retired. I think I might have one or two more coming.
Haaland's reflections on the tournament
Beyond the souvenir's novelty, Haaland expressed pride in his country's achievement. After the elimination by England, he described the campaign as "incredible" and emphasized the broader significance for Norwegian football.
I think it's been incredible. The performance is one thing, beating Brazil is one thing, but the way Norway has been, how we have put Norway on the map, is perhaps what moves me the most. That really touches my heart: we put Norway on the map. Hopefully we can now build something in terms of European Championships, World Cups and everything else, because our generation is in a good place.
Haaland also praised the city of Dallas in a vlog posted on his YouTube channel on July 3, calling it "amazing" and describing the people as "so nice" and "enjoying life." He confirmed he plans to return to Texas.
