Amid his spectacular World Cup performance, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has unexpectedly found social media fame in China. From short videos about cheat meals to hydration breaks, the contrast between his striking stature, formidable performance on the pitch and goofy off-field personality has won over legions of soccer fans.
Since joining Chinese social media in early June, Haaland has engaged with memes created by fans, who affectionately call him "Habao" (ha is the first syllable of his surname, and bao means "treasure." Together they mean a lovable goofball). Haaland has also shown followers how to style his signature man-bun and posted numerous humorous short videos.
Haaland also used Chinese rock singer Wu Bai's iconic song "Norwegian Wood" in his posts, immediately winning more points with locals. Free from the distant or arrogant image sometimes associated with global sports superstars, Haaland's down-to-earth interactions have endeared him with millions. He has more than 6.23 million followers on Douyin as of mid-July, more than Norway's total population of 5.6 million, while related topics on RedNote have generated nearly 1.8 billion views.
Old Version
