Norway’s adventure at the 2026 World Cup ended in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 defeat to England, a match decided in extra time by Jude Bellingham’s winner. Erling Haaland, who had scored seven goals in five games to carry the Scandinavians into uncharted territory, was substituted during the additional period with what head coach Stale Solbakken later described as a dead leg compounded by fatigue. The striker had earlier struck twice to eliminate Brazil in the round of 16, a result that confirmed Norway’s first appearance in the last eight of a men’s World Cup and their first qualification for the tournament in 28 years.

When the squad landed in Oslo on Monday, Haaland descended the aircraft steps cradling a taxidermy raccoon clutching a whiskey bottle, an object he had acquired at Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, one of the host cities. The piece, listed on the shop’s website as the “Whiskey Raccoon” and priced at $750, forms part of a line of preserved animals in playful poses. Store co-owner Julie Newport told Norwegian media that Haaland had declared his love for the place upon entering and also purchased cowboy boots, personalised Stetsons, and a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Y’all Can Kiss My Dallas”.

Haaland’s embrace of Americana extended beyond retail therapy. Throughout the tournament, his off-pitch antics turned him into a viral sensation. He posted a video trying on a cowboy hat and declaring himself a “proper cowboy”, pretended to be a social-media assistant when approached by a fan, and shared a clip of himself devouring a New York deli sandwich. His distinctive, stiff-shouldered walk off the field spawned countless memes, and his social-media following swelled by an estimated 22 million during the competition. “It followed me home,” he wrote on Instagram alongside an image of the raccoon, later asking followers to help name it.

In Oslo, an estimated 100,000 supporters lined the streets as the team was received by King Harald V at the Royal Palace. Haaland, however, left the celebrations early because of a flight delay, missing the public acclamation. Reflecting on the campaign, he called it “the best six weeks of my life” and said Norway should be proud while learning from the narrow defeat to England. The quarter-final run, built on a generation that also includes Martin Ødegaard, has reset expectations for a nation that had not graced the World Cup since 1998 and now looks ahead to future tournaments with a proven capacity to compete at the highest level.