The World Cup introduces new stars to the world. It turned 17-year-old Pel into the emperor of football, made Maradona a legend, and set Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbapp up as global standard-bearers of the sport. However, at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, an unexpected star emerged: the Norwegian powerhouse forward Erling Haaland. He is neither a member of the champion team nor the top scorer, yet with monstrous performances and a cartoon-like persona, he has captivated football fans around the world.

Norway returned to the World Cup finals after 28 years and reached the quarterfinals for the first time in its history. Although the run halted at the threshold of the semifinals against the wall of England, Haaland has become one of the tournament most indelible faces.

The reason was not only goals. The 194㎝ frame, explosive speed, and overwhelming scoring power are talents that even people who do not follow football can grasp at a glance. By contrast, off the pitch a very different side drew attention.

During the Brazil match, as players from both teams engaged in a standoff, he was caught on the broadcast camera picking up a water bottle belonging to the opposing goalkeeper and taking a drink. On social networking services (SNS), reactions poured in such as “drinking water that is not his again.” A similar scene had been spotted in the earlier match against Senegal.

His offbeat expressions and playful reactions after matches quickly became memes. A striker like a monster and a character like a prankster. This curious combination is winning over the world. Ahead of the Norway versus England match, there was even an AI-generated video that depicted him as a Viking.

The number of Instagram followers for Haaland rose from about 40 million before the World Cup kicked off to more than 60 million during the tournament. The figure has continued to climb even after Norway were eliminated. Some now call him a long-awaited World Cup-born global superstar following Messi and Ronaldo.

Haaland distinctive look also grabbed the attention of netizens. In Korea, the hair tie he used to tie his hair during matches became a talking point. The brand ‘Kknekki (KKNEKKI)’ is in fact a product made with technology from a company that began in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province.

The brand name also comes from the Gyeongsang dialect word for ‘string,’ ‘Kknekki.’ After Haaland began wearing the product, sales surged by nearly 400 to 500%. During the World Cup, a ‘Haaland Edition’ appeared and sold out immediately.

The Haaland boom is especially intense in China. Although the China national team did not reach the World Cup finals, Haaland has stormed Chinese social media. The Douyin account he launched last month surpassed 5.8 million followers in a single month, and his Weibo followers also topped 1.9 million. Combined, that is 7.7 million. It is more than the population of Norway, 5.6 million.

Chinese fans do not call him Haaland. ‘Habao.’ Literally, it means ‘baby Haaland.’ They gave the hulking striker a cute nickname full of affection. Haaland is enjoying it too. On Chinese social media, he talks about Chinese food, replies directly to fan comments, and enjoys memes with his face composited into images. He has produced China-specific videos, and he readily accepted the nickname given by fans.

The Haaland craze has not stayed only on social media. Exports of Norwegian salmon have recorded double-digit growth in the Chinese market this year, and the phrase ‘Haaland effect’ has even appeared locally. As sales increased not only for salmon but also for mackerel, the Norwegian Seafood Council launched a marketing campaign fronted by Haaland. Ads proclaiming ‘Norwegian salmon chosen by Haaland’ went up in 180 cities and 750 stores in China.

AP described Haaland as “the World Cup best striker and the internet ‘babygirl’.” The combination of monstrous scoring power and a playful streak that delights in internet memes is being loved at the same time. Fans have added fuel to the craze with memes, short videos, AI parodies, and comments. The U.S. IT outlet Wired said, “Haaland has now become an internet character created together by fans around the world and AI, beyond being a football player.”