Haaland Didn't Win The World Cup, But He Did Win The Hearts of American Football Fans and Beyond

Jul. 22, 2026

Erling Haaland has emerged as the breakout star of the 2026 World Cup, with new social listening analysis from social-first agency SAMY revealing how his performances and personality helped him reach audiences beyond traditional soccer fandom.

SAMY analyzed English-language conversation using its CXM platform partner, Sprinklr, finding that the Norwegian striker generated 577,652 global mentions during his first World Cup appearance, placing him only behind established global icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the United States alone, Haaland attracted 36,622 mentions and recorded the most positive sentiment amongst other megastars, with 43% of conversations classed as positive and just 18% negative.

Soccer fans were already aware of this potency on the pitch, and his seven goals in Norway’s run to the quarter-finals established him as one of the tournament's leading players. But SAMY’s data shows that his influence extended far beyond the matches themselves. Alongside the goals, conversations centred on his humor, his role in leading the distinctive Norwegian fan ‘Viking Row’ celebration, his interactions with supporters and his visible enthusiasm for American culture.

Other off-field moments included shopping in Texas dressed as a cowboy, pretending to be the Norway social media manager, and returning to Norway with a taxidermied raccoon holding a bottle of whiskey, with Haaland saying it had “followed [him] home”.

That personality has translated into extraordinary social growth. Haaland’s Instagram audience rose from approximately 40 million at the beginning of the tournament to more than 70 million, while his TikTok following grew from 1.1 million to 16.3 million in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, his Instagram Reels were generating more than 683 million views by the latter stages of the competition.

SAMY’s research shows that the rise of the player-first fandom continues, with individual personalities increasingly defining how audiences experience major sporting events, offering a unique opportunity for brands to capitalize.

The social-first agency’s social listening analysis also revealed that megastars Messi and Ronaldo generated 2,274,665 and 2,251,770 global mentions, respectively, placing them within approximately 1% of each other. More than half of the conversation around Argentina centred on Messi, while Ronaldo accounted for 77% of discussions around Portugal.

Jasmin Fischer, SVP of Research and Insight at SAMY commented:

“Erling Haaland was already one of the best soccer players in the world, but this World Cup has turned him into something much bigger. His personality meant that even if you weren’t following the soccer, you could not help but notice him. The raccoon perhaps sums it up best. It was strange, funny and entirely unexpected, but it also felt completely natural coming from Haaland. It wasn’t a polished campaign or a carefully engineered brand moment. It was simply him visibly enjoying American culture and bringing his fans, both old and new, along for the ride. That authenticity has helped him reach people who may not previously have followed Manchester City, Norway or even soccer.  It’s a huge opportunity for brands. But it is not as simple as partnering with the athlete generating the most mentions. Social listening helps brands understand why people care, which communities are forming around a player and what those audiences are responding to. The temptation will be to manufacture more cowboy hats and raccoon moments. But Haaland’s appeal comes from the fact that it feels completely natural. The brands that benefit will be those that understand his connection with audiences and find a credible role within it, without polishing away the personality that made people care in the first place.”