A Haaland taxidermy raccoon costing $750 has become one of the stranger footnotes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after Norway’s striker Erling Haaland walked off a plane at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport on Monday clutching a mounted, whiskey-bottle-holding raccoon alongside a Dolce & Gabbana tote bag.
The Whiskey Raccoon that flew business class
The item is formally listed as the ‘Whiskey Raccoon’ on the Wild Bill’s Western Store raccoon collection page, part of a range the Dallas shop calls ‘Wild Bill’s Racoons & Squirrels.’ Each mount, the store says, is ‘unique in size, coloration, and expression’, and the listing now carries an additional description: ‘a memorable Texas souvenir made famous by Erling Haaland.’
Haaland had visited Wild Bill’s Western Store at the start of July, during Norway’s run in the tournament. The family-owned business, which has been trading for more than 40 years, posted a picture of the visit on its Instagram page on 5 July. ‘As a family-owned business, moments like these mean the world to us,’ the store wrote. ‘Thank you for stopping by and spending time with our team.’
When Haaland touched down in Oslo, he captioned his post on X simply: ‘It followed me home.’ The raccoon, mounted on a wooden board, was sold out on the store’s website shortly afterwards, with a notice reading ‘inventory on the way.’
Global demand after Haaland taxidermy raccoon goes viral
Wild Bill’s says the mounts ‘gained worldwide’ attention following the footballer’s visit. The store has since created a dedicated collection page for the items and begun offering international shipping, after being flooded with enquiries from Norwegians and other overseas customers who had seen Haaland’s posts.
The business has also leaned into the moment commercially. Its homepage now features a photograph of Haaland wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and a shirt reading ‘Y’all can kiss my Dallas.’ For a regional western-wear retailer, the organic reach generated by a single customer’s airport photograph would be difficult to replicate through any conventional marketing campaign.
Norway’s exit from the tournament came on Sunday, when the team lost to England in the quarter-finals. The 25-year-old Manchester City forward had been among the most-watched players at the FIFA World Cup, generating a steady stream of viral content both on and off the pitch. His fashion choices have attracted particular attention throughout the tournament: he has regularly been photographed with rare Hermès bags, Chanel cashmere beanies, and other luxury accessories.
The raccoon fits that pattern, if in an unexpected direction. Where most players return from major tournaments with medals or merchandise, Haaland came home with a taxidermied animal that a Dallas shop has now built a dedicated product line around. Wild Bill’s is already positioning the Haaland raccoon collection as a permanent part of its catalogue, with restocking under way and Instagram engagement from international buyers continuing to grow.
Whether Norway qualifies for the next major tournament will be debated by football analysts for months. Whether Wild Bill’s runs out of raccoons again before Christmas seems the more pressing question.