Norway may have been knocked out by England in the FIFA World Cup, but superstar Erling Haaland’s presence is still being felt. Scoring seven goals in his World Cup debut, Haaland is being remembered for more than his play on the field.
Reports indicated social media algorithms were being geared toward the Norwegian legend “because that is where the demand is.”
His popularity boom was compared to when NFL star Travis Kelce started dating Taylor Swift and then won the Super Bowl, according to The Athletic.
Let’s just say, the demand is understandable. And putting all the memes in real life to a parody of “moskau” makes it even better.
The Norwegian star has provided plenty for social media to work with throughout his career, from highlights deflecting balls off of opponents’ faces while wearing silly expressions of his own, to him wearing Viking helmets as he celebrates.
Haaland has been prepared for the meme culture, as shown when he told someone he was the “social media guy” when asked if he was on the Norwegian soccer team.
Or this collection of silly facial expressions with silly captions. My personal favorite is the McDonald’s caption.
He also made headlines when he carried a taxidermied “whiskey raccoon” holding a bottle of alcohol off the plane when he returned home to Norway.
He later showed off the rest of his collection on his Snapchat story with two squirrels, one wearing a cowboy hat and the other with a can of Budweiser. Seems like Haaland enjoyed his time in the U.S.
Barstool Sports said he should be an honorary American.
In the comments of an AI-edited video, Haaland said he and Vinicius Junior “need to recreate” an iconic scene from “White Chicks.”
The Brazilian player was amused, responding, “HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.”
Haaland was even compared to Majin Buu from “Dragon Ball Z.”
The super striker may not have gone home with the ultimate prize for Norway, but it is safe to say Haaland made his mark in 2026.