Erling Haaland shrugs off World Cup disappointment by returning to Norway with a stuffed racoon - 'It followed me home'

For a while this summer, Haaland ignited dreams of Norwegian glory at the World Cup as his goals fired his country out of the group stage and deep into the knockout phase.

As well as winning fans with Haaland's goals and their style of play, Norway won over a legion of supporters - with their ‘Viking Row’ taking over famous places such as Times Square.

Wins over Iraq and Senegal saw Norway out of the group stage, and Haaland continued his scoring form with a goal in the 2-1 victory over Cote d'Ivoire and two in the shock triumph over Brazil in the last 16.

England were up next in the quarter-finals, and there was confidence in the Norway camp that Haaland would bully players he knows well from playing with and against them in the Premier League with Manchester City.

It was not to be, as Haaland delivered a below-par display in the 2-1 loss and was taken off during extra time - with coach Stale Solbakken saying the forward told him he was exhausted.

"It was not a tough decision to take him out because he was finished, and maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before, but he obviously [had] the tremendous World Cup," Solbakken said. "Used all his energy and power for game after game after game. I think that he also got a dead leg in the second half. So that, combined with the fatigue ... he did everything he could."

Despite the disappointment of the loss to England, Haaland was delighted with Norway’s run to the quarter-finals.

"I think how we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most. I think with the [Viking] row, how good people we are ... I think that really touches me, and we put Norway on the map," Haaland said. "Hopefully, now, we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing."

Haaland will now head for a holiday before linking back up with City, and he returned to Norway with an eye-catching souvenir.

Stepping off the plane, Haaland had a stuffed racoon under one arm.

Haaland was quick to pick up on the moment, as he took to social media to say: "It followed me home."

Never change, Erling.

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