Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 14, 2026 11:48 AM IST
Erling Haaland may have bowed out of the FIFA World Cup after Norway’s defeat to England, but the striker has once again gone viral for something completely unrelated to football.
When the Norwegian team landed in Oslo on Monday, July 13, Haaland was seen walking off the plane carrying what appeared to be a raccoon clutching a bottle of whiskey. The unusual sight left fans puzzled, with many initially wondering if the animal was real.
The mystery was soon cleared up. The figure was a taxidermy-style ‘Whiskey Raccoon’ that Haaland picked up from Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas during Norway’s stay in the United States. The team had visited the store after beating Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32 last month.
Sharing the moment on X, Haaland joked, “It followed me home.” He also turned the purchase into a fun social media activity by asking fans on Instagram to help name it. The choices included Cowboy, Ranger, TEX and R.O.W., short for Raccoon On Wheels.
A video uploaded to Haaland’s YouTube channel also captured the team’s stop at the Dallas store, where the Manchester City forward was seen trying on cowboy hats and browsing Western-themed merchandise.
Check out the post:
It followed me home 🦝🤣 pic.twitter.com/IwMhgv0CAb
— Erling Haaland (@Erling) July 13, 2026
The quirky post quickly took off online, with fans filling the comments section with amused reactions. One user wrote, “just another normal day in a wizard’s life.” Another commented, “At the first glance thought it was a real Raccoon.” A third added, “Is it a stuffed racoon? That’s the only plausible explanation for what am looking at.”
The ‘Whiskey Raccoon’ itself is no ordinary souvenir. The item is priced at $750 (Rs 72,000) and has become increasingly hard to find, with the store listing it as sold out on July 13 while noting that more inventory is expected, according to USA Today.
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While Norway’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment, the tournament turned into a memorable off-field experience for Haaland. Throughout the team’s journey across the United States, the 25-year-old regularly shared glimpses of his travels, interacting with fans and embracing American culture beyond the football pitch.
