Flowing blonde hair, a strong jawline, and a massive social media following — these are the traits tying global influencers to Norwegian soccer hero Erling Haaland as World Cup fever takes over social media. International fans cannot stop making hilarious comparisons between the Manchester City striker and several content creators.
Three Prominent Lookalikes Emerge
Three of the most prominent lookalikes include Americans Emma Willman and Maddy Konerza, and Russian model Anastasia Kostromitina. Each creator has been bombarded with comments, follows, and memes declaring their uncanny resemblance to one of the world's most prolific goal scorers. In some instances, Haaland himself has weighed in.
Charleston creator Willman said she was stunned by the wave of new exposure her hair and makeup videos garnered. “I have gained probably close to three or four thousand followers on Instagram today,” she said earlier this week. “I think that I’ve had probably over 100,000 comments in the last two hours... first of all, the best doppelganger you can give me is a male soccer player, really?”
Willman's Social Media Surge
Willman — who now boasts 141k followers on the platform — said she had previously been told she looks like Swedish pop diva Zara Larsson, or even a young Taylor Swift. “No offence to Haaland at all, but I’m very much just a little girl from Charleston,” she added. Joining the fun, Norway’s national team account responded simply, “Nah”, with Adidas adding, “There is nø way you two aren’t related”. Countless fans left feedback only reinforcing the joke, with one claiming: “7 goals in 5 games!!! What a machine bro.”
Konerza and Haaland's Reaction
Minnesota creator Konerza also leaned into the connections, posting a video depicting her long brown hair flowing with the same fluidity as the Norseman’s. “I see, you see, we agree,” one person wrote, with others complimenting her on her recent on-field efforts. This time, the man himself felt compelled to chime in, commenting a series of laugh emojis and the words “Agree guys”.
Kostromitina's Striking Similarity
Perhaps the most undeniable resemblance the Manchester City star shares with an obscure social media figure could be that of Russian model Kostromitina. She posted a hilarious lookalike clip to Instagram, re-enacting Haaland’s most memeable poses and his love for the camera. Despite her red hair, the model’s pronounced cheekbones and soft facial features were deemed so similar to Haaland’s by her compatriots, they even bagged her a feature in a Russian newspaper. “Separated at birth,” one Instagram user responded. “Bro got so many twin sisters,” another said.
Viking Ancestry Jokes
With the Norwegian national team playing into their Viking ancestry, others joked the star striker’s descendants were well-travelled. “Haaland’s grandfather voyaged far and wide,” they wrote. Haaland and his Norwegian teammates next face England in the FIFA World Cup quarter finals on Sunday morning.
