Norway star Erling Haaland has returned home from the 2026 World Cup without a trophy after a quarter-final defeat to England but with a $750 (£558) taxidermied raccoon tucked under his arm. The image of the Manchester City striker stepping off a plane cradling the stuffed animal has rapidly become one of the most shared images among his fans.
The raccoon has been identified as the 'Whiskey Raccoon' sold by Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas, Texas, a novelty taxidermy piece posed upright and holding an empty bottle of alcohol. Haaland is understood to have bought it during Norway's stay in the United States for their World Cup campaign, according to reports, and later posted a photo on his official X account with the caption 'It followed me home'.
