- Erling Haaland returned to Norway from the 2026 World Cup carrying a $750 taxidermied raccoon holding a whisky bottle, purchased at a Texas store during the tournament.
- During a break in the tournament, Haaland visited Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas, where he spent $10,000 on western wear and the stuffed raccoon, popularly nicknamed the "Whisky Raccoon".
- As he stepped off the team plane in Oslo, Haaland was photographed carrying a pair of bags while holding the taxidermy raccoon in his left hand.
- Haaland's national team reached the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time in their history, following stellar performances that included a major Round of 16 victory over Brazil.
- Though Norway were eventually knocked out by England in a controversial 2-1 quarter-final, Haaland was his country's standout performer, finishing as his country's top scorer with seven goals.
- Wild Bill's owner Julie Newport confirmed that Haaland purchased the raccoon and other items, rather than being gifted them, and that the store had a couple of these taxidermy raccoons in stock for years.
- Following Haaland's visit, the USD 750 taxidermy animal quickly sold out online, prompting the store to fast-track international shipping options to handle a sudden wave of orders from across the world.
- Newport confirmed that a banner on Wild Bill's site which reads, "Now shipping internationally", is new, having never done business outside the U.S. before.
Erling Haaland returned to Norway from the 2026 World Cup with a unique souvenir: a $750 taxidermied raccoon holding a whisky bottle, purchased at Wild Bill's Western Store in Texas. The raccoon, affectionately known as the 'Whisky Raccoon', became a viral sensation, selling out quickly due to the 'Haaland effect'.123
During a break in the tournament, Haaland visited the store, where he also bought cowboy hats and boots. Store owner Julie Newport recounted how she locked the doors to provide a private shopping experience for the soccer star, saying, 'Lock the doors. We’re going to make this special for him.' Haaland shared his excitement on social media, posting, 'It followed me home' alongside photos of his new furry friend.
The raccoon purchase coincided with Norway's historic World Cup run, where they reached the quarter-finals for the first time, with Haaland finishing as the team's top scorer with seven goals. Newport noted that the store had never shipped internationally before Haaland's visit, but now has around 2,000 online orders, with 30 percent being international. She stated, 'Every day when we wake up, we have more orders.' Haaland's playful social media posts included a call for fans to help name the raccoon, with options like 'Cowboy' and 'R.O.W. (Raccoon on wheels)'.56
“The $750 taxidermy raccoon, nicknamed 'Whisky Raccoon', quickly sold out online after Haaland's social media post, prompting Wild Bill's to fast-track international shipping. Haaland also posted a photo with the caption 'It followed me home' and asked fans to name his new buddy.”
