In the small Norwegian town of Bryne, fabric shop owner Olinda Haaland—no relation to the famous striker—says everyone has become a football fan.
Her shop is filled with red hats, No 9 shirts, and Erling Haaland action toys.
"It's been pure joy," she said, noting the deep affection the community feels for the striker.
"We all love him so much and he's doing so much for Bryne."
Haaland's shop faces Bryne's central square, where hundreds will gather on Saturday to watch an outdoor broadcast of Norway's World Cup quarter-final against England.
Retro World Cup shirts from 1998 sold out in two days; now anything red sells.
The Roots of a Giant
Although born in Leeds, where his father Alf-Inge Haaland played for Leeds United, Erling Haaland grew up in Bryne, a small southern Norwegian farming town near Stavanger.
The 6ft 4in Manchester City striker has scored 62 goals in 54 senior international matches.
Haaland still frequents his old haunts around town, donates football equipment to children, and organizes reading competitions.
A rare 16th-century book of Viking sagas he bought will soon arrive at the local library.
Mayor Andreas Vollusund, Haaland's former schoolteacher, said the 25-year-old has had a huge impact.
"We are proud of the little boy who has grown into a huge Viking," he said. "Now Bryne is the capital of Norway, not Oslo."
Vollusund recalled Haaland's childhood determination.
"When he was 10 years old he said he was going to be a footballer when he was an adult.
He was very focused."
The mayor attributes Haaland's humility to local culture. "We come from a place in Norway where our feet are on the ground.
Farms, working hard … and he has good genes from his mum and dad."
Unprecedented Unity
Gabriel Høyland, Haaland's great uncle, called the World Cup run "quite remarkable." He said, "We have never experienced this kind of atmosphere any time."
At Bryne FK stadium, Alf Ingve Berntsen, who coached Haaland from age eight, remembered his early passion.
"He was funny, he was smiling, he was scoring lots of goals. At that level you can see it is glowing.
It's a fire, it's passion."
Berntsen noted that the World Cup has brought togetherness. "Not just in Bryne but all over Norway.
It's amazing."
On Saturday, the mayor will serve hotdogs to 3,000 children and families at an alcohol-free screening at Bryne's stadium.
"We're doing what we can to make this a big, big event," Vollusund said.
Visiting father Christopher Gundersen from Oslo said, "It's bigger than football. The whole country is coming together.
It has had a huge impact."
