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Haaland’s World Cup Run Ends as Norway Returns Home with Viral ‘Whiskey Raccoon’

Haaland’s seven-goal haul propelled Norway to its best World Cup finish since 1998, turning his play into a social-media and commercial phenomenon.

Overview

  • Norway were eliminated 2-1 in extra time by England in the World Cup quarter-finals, a defeat that ended their deepest tournament run in decades.
  • Erling Haaland finished the tournament with seven goals in five matches and missed part of the extra-time quarter-final because of a leg issue.
  • Around 90,000 people welcomed the team back in Oslo on Monday as players performed the 'Viking Row' and met the royal family in a large public celebration.
  • Several outlets reported that FIFA reviewed spidercam footage and ball-sensor data and found no contact with the overhead cable on England’s equaliser, though those findings were reported by specific media and not presented as universally uncontested.
  • Haaland’s off-field moments — including photos of him carrying a $750 'Whiskey Raccoon' bought at Wild Bill’s in Dallas and a fan naming poll on social media — boosted his global profile and drove a spike in sales and online interest for the small Texas shop.