Erling Haaland’s Taxidermied Raccoon Souvenir Has Norway Talking After World Cup Exit

Erling Haaland raccoon photos have taken over football chatter this week, and the picture behind it all shows the Norwegian striker walking off a plane in Oslo with a stuffed animal tucked under one arm. Haaland picked up the taxidermied raccoon, plus two matching squirrels, during a shopping trip in Dallas, and he carried the lot home after Norway’s World Cup quarterfinal exit.

The souvenir, officially named the Whiskey Raccoon, came from a family-run western store and formed part of a shopping bill that reportedly reached close to $10,000. Fans want to know why he bought it, what he plans to call it, and what the whole episode says about the striker away from the pitch.

Erling Haaland Bought A $750 Taxidermied Raccoon At A Dallas Western Store

Haaland’s raccoon came from Wild Bill’s Western Store in downtown Dallas, a shop that has outfitted tourists and locals for more than 40 years. He visited after Norway’s 2-1 win over Ivory Coast at Dallas Stadium on June 30, a result that sent the squad through to the Round of 16. The raccoon itself is mounted on a wooden board, positioned so it looks like it is hugging a small whiskey bottle, and listings on the store’s website already show it sold out.

The Story Behind Wild Bill’s Western Store

Bill “Wild Bill” Dewbre founded the store four decades ago, and it has stayed a family business ever since. Cody and Julie Newport now co-own it, while members of the founding family still work the floor. Julie Newport described the attention as an exciting moment for the whole team, and the couple told local reporters they roped off part of the shop floor once they got word Haaland’s group was on the way.

Haaland Spent Close To $10,000 On A Private Shopping Trip

This was not a quick solo stop. Haaland arrived by team bus with four other Norway players, and the group shopped for roughly ninety minutes without interruption. Sources close to the visit say the full bill across hats, boots, shirts, belt buckles, and the taxidermy pieces landed near $10,000, with Haaland covering the tab himself.

Quick facts on the visit:

• Wild Bill’s usually sees tourists make up around 90 percent of its customers.
• Staff cleared floor space in advance once they learned a “special guest” was coming.
• The store’s biggest seller since the visit has been the “Y’all can kiss my Dallas” shirt, restocked to meet demand.
• Online orders picked up from fans well outside North Texas after Haaland’s post spread.

The Raccoon Doesn’t Have A Name Yet, But Fans Are Voting

Haaland has not settled on what to call his new companion. He turned to Instagram Stories and asked followers to help him choose, offering four options:

1. Cowboy
2. Ranger
3. TEX
4. O.W. (Raccoon on Wheels)

That last option nods to the rowing celebration Norway’s squad used after big results throughout the tournament. On Instagram, Haaland wrote that the whole run had “been quite a row,” thanking fans for making it memorable. On X, he kept it simpler, writing that the raccoon had followed him home.

Norway’s World Cup Run Explains Why Haaland Was In Texas

Haaland was in Dallas because Norway put together one of its strongest World Cup campaigns on record. Here is how the knockout run played out:

Haaland scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the Ivory Coast match, then added his sixth and seventh against Brazil to reach a final tally of seven goals across the competition. The quarterfinal finish marked the first time Norway’s men’s team had reached that stage of a World Cup. It also ended a 28-year gap since the country’s previous appearance at the tournament, back in 1998.

Haaland’s Return To Oslo Turned Into Its Own Moment

Haaland flew home on July 13, two days after the loss to England, and the airport arrival became a story of its own. Photos show him stepping off the plane with two bags over one shoulder and the raccoon in his other hand. Norwegian supporters gave the squad a hero’s welcome at Gardermoen Airport despite the quarterfinal exit, a reaction that says plenty about how the run was viewed back home. Reaching a first-ever quarterfinal changes the maths on how a tournament gets remembered, especially for a nation that had spent decades outside the competition altogether.

Why A Taxidermied Raccoon Became This World Cup’s Signature Souvenir

Western stores in Texas cities have leaned into international visitors for years, and taxidermy pieces sit alongside hats and boots as novelty purchases for tourists who want something that will not fit easily in a suitcase. Most visitors stop at a hat or a pair of boots. Haaland went further, buying three separate taxidermy pieces in one visit, and that willingness to commit to an odd purchase is what turned a shopping trip into a genuine talking point well beyond football circles.

What This Says About Haaland’s Personality On And Off The Pitch

Haaland built a reputation this tournament for not taking himself too seriously off the ball. He was seen laughing with England’s Jude Bellingham during their quarterfinal meeting, a moment that circulated widely given the two players were on opposing sides in a knockout match. His signature hairstyle, long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, has already inspired supporters to copy the look at matches.

The raccoon fits that same pattern. A player capable of scoring seven goals across a single World Cup campaign, then flying home with a taxidermied animal under one arm and asking his followers to name it, is not managing his image carefully. He is enjoying the moment, and that comes through in every photo from the Dallas visit and the Oslo arrival alike.

Norway’s tournament is over for now, but the raccoon story looks likely to outlast the headlines from the pitch. For readers who follow the tournament for the drama on and off the field, Safespin keeps full coverage running through the semifinals and final. Between matches, our full lineup of online casinos gives Australian players something else to enjoy while the football takes a breather.