The FIFA World Cup’s most viral football player left the US with a rather peculiar souvenir.
Norway’s striker Erling Haaland returned home after his team lost to England in the quarter-finals on Sunday. He exited the plane at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport on Monday in style, carrying a $750 taxidermy raccoon in one hand and a Dolce & Gabbana tote bag in the other.
“It followed me home,” he joked of the raccoon in the caption of his Monday X post.
The raccoon was from Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, a family-owned business that Haaland visited at the start of July, according to an Instagram post by the store. The store’s website says it’s been in operation for more than 40 years.
The business has jumped on the Haaland hype train, posting a picture of him on its website’s homepage wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and a shirt that reads: “Y’all can kiss my Dallas.”
“As a family-owned business, moments like these mean the world to us,” the store wrote in an Instagram post on July 5. “Thank you for stopping by and spending time with our team.”
The raccoon, mounted on a wooden board and holding a whiskey bottle, is sold out on Wild Bill’s storefront, with the notice “inventory on the way.”
The shop has also started international shipping since Haaland’s visit, after it was flooded with comments from Norwegians and other foreigners interested in its products.
Haaland, known for his blond man bun, funny facial expressions, and goal-scoring prowess, is perhaps the most viral player in this year’s World Cup. The 25-year-old Manchester City player has taken over the internet with memes and songs, including “Haaland (Ha Ha Ha),” a Manchester City fan chant.
Off the pitch, he has made waves for his fashion sense. He has frequently been photographed carrying rare Hermès bags, Chanel cashmere beanies, and other luxury items.
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