The Erling Haaland taxidermy raccoon that accompanied the Norway striker home from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has had an unexpected commercial aftershock: Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, Texas, has sold out of taxidermy raccoons entirely, according to the Associated Press-cited social media coverage from Front Office Sports.
Haaland posted a photograph on X of himself cradling the stuffed animal, captioning it simply: ‘It followed me home.’ The image spread rapidly, drawing thousands of responses from fans comparing the striker and his new companion to Marvel characters Thor and Rocket, among other reactions.
The Raccoon’s Texas Origin and a Sold-Out Store
Online sleuthing quickly traced the animal to Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas, where the taxidermy piece was known as ‘the Whiskey Raccoon.’ Haaland reportedly paid about $750 for the souvenir, though he has not directly confirmed either the origin or the price.
What is confirmed is that Haaland visited the store. Wild Bill’s has made the most of the association: its website prominently features a photograph of the player wearing the shop’s ‘Y’all Can Kiss My Dallas™ T-Shirt.’ ‘The Norwegian striker embraced true Texan style, tried on some hats, and even picked up a few favorites. Y’all can kiss our Dallas any day,’ the store wrote on its site.
The commercial impact has been swift. Wild Bill’s is now sold out of taxidermy raccoons, according to Front Office Sports, a direct consequence of the visibility Haaland’s social media posts generated for the product.
Erling Haaland Taxidermy Raccoon Naming Poll Still Running
The raccoon’s next chapter is being shaped by fans. In an Instagram story poll, Haaland offered four name options: ‘Cowboy,’ ‘Ranger,’ ‘TEX,’ or ‘R.O.W. (Raccoon on Wheels).’ At the time of writing, R.O.W. was leading with 38% of the vote, while Cowboy, Ranger and TEX each held 21%. The R.O.W. acronym is widely read as a nod to Norway’s popular rowing goal celebration.
The poll stood as follows at the time of writing:
Cowboy, 21%. Ranger, 21%. TEX, 21%. R.O.W., 38%.
The raccoon was not the only taxidermy Haaland appears to have acquired during the tournament. A Snapchat video shared earlier in the competition also shows a squirrel drinking a beer and a second squirrel wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a small gun, suggesting R.O.W. had company on the journey home.
Norway Exit and a Life-Changing Tournament
The souvenirs came despite Norway’s elimination at the quarterfinal stage, where the side lost to England. Haaland addressed the exit on X, writing: ‘It’s been quite a row, thank you for making it so special.’ He also told the Associated Press that the tournament had genuinely changed his life.
Fan reaction online has been broadly warm. Selected responses from X included: ‘Respectfully, I think he is headed home with something even more special than the World Cup,’ and ‘This man enjoyed his trip more than I’ve enjoyed any trip I’ve taken.’ The Haaland-raccoon dynamic drew enough traction that several fans who described themselves as previously indifferent to football said the episode had converted them.
Wild Bill’s sell-out status underlines the retail power that a single social media moment from a high-profile footballer can generate, even for a niche product category few shops outside the American South would typically carry. Whether the Dallas store restocks before interest fades is now the more pressing commercial question.
