Haaland and the Raccoon: A Souvenir from Texas Becomes a Hit Upon Return to Oslo

Reception at the Palace and Rowing Party

The team then boarded an open double-decker bus heading toward the City Hall square, but the convoy made slow progress due to the crowds. Along the roughly 450-meter route between the palace and the University Square, around 88,000 people had gathered to celebrate the team, according to the organizers. Team captain Martin Ødegaard explained that the 89-year-old King had welcomed them at home and congratulated them on their performance: "Er hat uns zu Hause willkommen geheißen und uns zu unserer Leistung gratuliert".

The Raccoon as the Secret Star

At the center of the reception, however, was an unusual accessory: Haaland was carrying a stuffed raccoon that he had purchased during a visit to the Texan Western shop Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas. The plush animal held a glass bottle in its paws and quickly became the most photographed object of the day. On Instagram, Haaland wrote jokingly that the animal had followed him home: "Er ist mir nach Hause gefolgt". The Western store's Instagram account also reacted and recognized the raccoon: "Den Waschbären kennen wir doch! Wie cool, dass unser kleiner Waschbär es bis nach Norwegen geschafft hat!".

Background: The Visit to Texas

Store owner Julie Newport told The Athletic that the store has carried occasional stuffed raccoons and squirrels in its range for several years. "Wir hatten in den letzten Jahren ein paar dieser ausgestopften Waschbären im Laden, und er war offensichtlich von ihnen und ein paar Eichhörnchen fasziniert," Newport said. Haaland had posted a video of his visit to Wild Bill's on Instagram and YouTube at the beginning of July, in which he explained that he had only come for a cowboy hat. "Dafür bin ich hier." Later he posted a photo with a hat, boots and a T-shirt reading "Y'ALL CAN KISS MY DALLAS," commenting on it with "Howdy". In response to a staff member's comment referring to him as a "Cowboy," the striker replied with a simple "Yeehaw".

Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland was visibly moved after the reception: "Hier zu stehen und ein bisschen Geschichte geschrieben zu haben, das sind Erinnerungen, die für immer bleiben werden". The Norwegian team had previously been eliminated 1:2 by England after extra time in the World Cup quarter-final in Miami, though this hardly dampened the festivities in Oslo. Some players appeared casually in shorts, with Borussia Dortmund's Julian Ryerson even wearing flip-flops to the royal audience.

Departure Toward Sicily

Due to the delayed departure from Miami, Haaland and his teammate Sander Berge had to leave the reception at the palace early. According to The Athletic, the two flew off on vacation to Sicily immediately afterward. They had reportedly been reluctant to travel to Norway but were persuaded to take part. According to the industry platform Transfermarkt, Haaland has gained more than 23 million new Instagram followers since the tournament, further underscoring the striker's radiance. The mix of sporting performance, a royal stage and a quirky souvenir made the reception in Oslo one of the most widely observed moments of the Norwegian football summer.