Erling Haaland: Norway’s World Cup machine and social media ‘babygirl’ phenomenon

Erling Haaland stands at 6 feet, 5 inches, an intimidating force who can make fellow soccer players look tiny in stature and talent. Scoring seven goals across four World Cup matches entering Saturday, the Norwegian player has been described as a machine. But if you ask some loyal new fans, he’s also a babygirl and princess. Haaland has become a social media phenomenon, with his own posts and memes from others turning even soccer novices into diehard fans. His domineering physical appearance coupled with his goofy online persona have contributed to the craze. Fans remark on his flowing blond mane, color-coordinated hair ties and playful posts like a Snapchat-filtered selfie in which he proclaimed Shrek his "twin.” The contrast between his strength and skill on the field and his softer, looser online presence has also subjected him to the "babygirl” treatment online. That term is used frequently by fans of endearing male celebrities or characters who come across as sensitive, caring or vulnerable. Norway's Erling Haaland (9) and Andreas Schjelderup (21) celebrate after Haaland scored their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil. (AP) Haaland is emblematic of a broader embrace of soccer players as pop culture figures, driven in large part by how they present themselves off the pitch. Sarah Wilson, a baseball content creator in New York, is new to following soccer, but has become a big enough fan in the past month that she embarked on a lengthy hunt to buy the jersey of her new favorite player. "I love Erling Haaland more than life itself,” Wilson, 31, said in a now viral video. "I cannot fathom being such a pretty Norwegian princess and also being one of the best strikers in all of football.” Haaland is being catapulted into a fame even more intense than he had already known as the Premier League's top scorer. This moment boils down to the pairing of elite skills with quirky personality, Wilson said. Anastasia Kostromitina, model of MOTION agency, who has gone viral with striking likeness to Norway's Erling Haaland, poses in Moscow, Russia July 10, 2026. (Reuters) "Him being really, really talented - that’s the first pillar of it all. And then you find out that he’s 25 years old and he’s probably the most Gen Z athlete in the World Cup,” Wilson told The Associated Press, noting his use of Snapchat and goofy filters in photos online. Many are thinking, "‘Wow, I love that guy, he’s hilarious. Now he’s my new favorite player,’ which is exactly what happened with me,” she added. Haaland’s expressive reactions on the pitch and his unique appearance have spawned hundreds of memes. He’s leaned into this virality, posting cheeky selfies on Instagram, uploading long-form vlogs on YouTube and interacting with fans on his public Snapchat stories, often poking fun at himself. After scoring two goals to knock out Brazil, he posted a smug selfie from the locker room with the caption, "Well well well.” When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion - its wiry roots standing in as his hair - Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF. When Google added a Viking row animation to his search results, Haaland wrote on X, "One thing to do today… search my name on Google,” with a winking emoji. Norway's Erling Haaland (9) leads the team as they participate in a viking boat row after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway. (AP) Haaland said in a team news conference on Thursday that he's enjoyed being embraced in the U.S. "I think it’s a good thing because I like the Americans. I think they are kind of hilarious as well. They are funny. I like the way they are,” he said. "I think it's just good and honestly, on every single thing, the World Cup so far here has been amazing.” Sports are a "cultural force,” one on par with politics or religion, said Jeffrey Kassing, an Arizona State University professor who has studied fans' and athletes' social media use. It’s natural that Haaland has "crossed over” into non-soccer audiences, he said. A song from his youth has gone viral. A lookalike contest is in the offing. Even dogs are sporting blond wigs. "There used to be a whole lot of gatekeeping that would happen with athletes; you would only ever hear from athletes maybe in an interview or in a press conference,” Kassing said. Haaland is evidence of how players have much more control in shaping their image now, he added. A pair of dogs wear Norway's flag, a Viking helmet and a blond ponytail hairpiece suggestive of striker Erling Haaland's hair, as Norway soccer fans gather on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, July 10, 2026, on the eve of their team's quarterfinal World Cup soccer match against England. (AP) Fans' access to athletes contributes to what is called a parasocial relationship, defined by one-way knowing, said Gayle Stever, a professor at Empire State University who has studied the dynamics betwee