Blonde man in black hoodie carrying a large designer tote bag walks down airplane stairs holding a taxidermy raccoon gripping a small bottle.
JAN LANGHAUG / AFP via Getty Images
Gossip

Erling Haaland Flew Home to Oslo from the World Cup Carrying a $750 Taxidermy Raccoon Holding a Bottle of Gin

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He bought the “Whiskey Raccoon” in Dallas after Norway knocked out Ivory Coast, and now he’s letting fans name it. The options he floated: Cowboy, Ranger, TEX, or R.O.W., short for Raccoon On Wheels.

The taxidermy figure runs $750 and came from Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, where staff locked the doors for a private 90-minute visit after Norway beat Ivory Coast in the Round of 32. Haaland tried on snakeskin cowboy boots and a custom hat branded with his initials and No. 9, then walked out with the raccoon and a few stuffed squirrels.

Erling Haaland on the tarmac at Oslo's Gardermoen Airport after arriving home from the 2026 World Cup
Erling Haaland steps off the plane at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport on July 13, 2026, following Norway’s World Cup exit against England in the quarterfinals. Photo by Jan Langhaug / AFP via Getty Images.

“It followed me home,” he wrote on X the day the team’s flight landed in Oslo.

Norway’s run went further than anyone expected: past Ivory Coast, then a 2-1 upset of Brazil where Haaland scored twice, before a 2-1 extra-time loss to England in the quarterfinals. He finished with roughly 7 goals in 5 matches, and the raccoon rode home as the souvenir of it all.

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About the author

January Nelson

January Nelson

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.