Haaland leans into meme craze after Norway's World Cup run

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has welcomed the surge of internet attention that has made him a favourite target of viral memes.

The wave of posts grew after he helped Norway advance to a historic quarter-final at the 2026 World Cup, a campaign that ended when England knocked the Scandinavians out in extra time.

Haaland has said he finds the humour entertaining and argues that audiences ought to laugh instead of treating the likenesses with undue seriousness.

According to the Norway international, the flood of fan reactions eventually pushed him to jump into the trend and take part in the chatter online.

That move has only heightened interest, as supporters keep likening him on social platforms to subjects ranging from a green onion to assorted haircuts.