What Does Erling Haaland's Raccoon Souvenir Mean?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been the subject of social media discussion after sharing a photo of himself carrying a replica raccoon while holding a whiskey bottle upon arriving in Oslo, Norway, after the 2026 World Cup on Monday, July 13, 2026. The post on his personal Instagram account @erling has been liked by over five million users, nearing 8.1 million by July 15, 2026.

Haaland captioned the photo with a short sentence, "It followed me home," accompanied by a raccoon emoji and laughter. The sentence was a joke implying that the raccoon "followed him home," rather than being intentionally purchased.

The photo has sparked various speculations. Some netizens speculated that the raccoon had a specific symbolic meaning or was a mascot for the 2026 World Cup, but these assumptions are inaccurate.

The raccoon that Haaland brought was a taxidermy souvenir. As reported by WCNC, Haaland purchased the preserved raccoon at Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas for approximately US$750 (around Rp12 million). The raccoon, dubbed "Whiskey Raccoon" by the store's visitors, was bought when the Norwegian national team was in Texas for the World Cup.

Texas played a crucial role in Norway's World Cup journey. The team achieved its first-ever victory in the World Cup knockout stage by defeating Ivory Coast in the round of 32 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, on June 30, 2026.

Wild Bill's Western Store @wildbillswesternstore even commented on Haaland's Instagram post. They wrote, "We know that raccoon! So cool seeing our little raccoon made it to Norway!" confirming that the raccoon brought by Haaland was indeed purchased from their store.

No Symbolic Meaning

Contrary to various circulating speculations, the raccoon does not hold a specific meaning nor is it related to Norwegian culture or the World Cup. Haaland chose to bring it home simply because he found it unique and amusing.

In his private YouTube channel, on June 30, 2026, the Manchester City forward also bought several cowboy-styled items, such as a hat and a t-shirt with the words "Y'all Can Kiss My Dallas," from Wild Bill's Western Store a few hours after Norway's 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the World Cup 2026 round of 32, which subsequently went viral on social media, leading to a significant impact on the store.

"It's really special when this happens for a small store like us," said Wild Bill's Western owner Julie Newport.

The taxidermy raccoon became one of the most prominent souvenirs he chose.

This action was seen as a reflection of Haaland's character, often displaying his humorous side off the field. Previously, he had also garnered attention for his fashion sense and humorous social media posts.

Stirring Debate on Social Media

While many fans found Haaland's actions entertaining, some questioned the appropriateness of using a preserved animal as a souvenir.

"@wildbillswesternstore Is this true? Because if this raccoon was killed just to be used as a decoration like this, I find it very disgusting. I am sad that Haaland brought it all the way to Norway. Please explain," wrote a comment from @mcr***.

In the Instagram comments section, several users questioned the origin of the raccoon and criticized taxidermy practices. Some even speculated that the raccoon was specifically killed for Haaland.

In response to those comments, Wild Bill's Western Store did not explain the taxidermy process, but only affirmed that the raccoon was a product from their store.

"We know that raccoon! So cool seeing our little raccoon made it to Norway!" commented @wildbillswesternstore on Erling Haaland's social media post.

Several other users then explained that the raccoon was an available item in the store and was purchased by Haaland as a souvenir, not specifically made for the player. "Meaning, he bought it there, it doesn't mean the raccoon was killed specifically for him," @upsidedownli*** replied to @mcr***'s comment

Despite the debate, Haaland's post went viral, once again demonstrating how simple things off the field can capture the public's attention.

Read: Erling Haaland Brings Home Taxidermy Raccoon After World Cup Exit

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