U.S. influencer Emma Kate Willman has seen her Instagram follower count surge after FIFA World Cup fans noticed her striking resemblance to Norway striker Erling Haaland. According to InsTrack, a website that tracks follower growth, Willman's followers increased by more than 2,200% over the past 90 days, with over 82,000 new followers gained in just five days.
From Hair Tutorials to Viral Sensation
Willman, who is from Charleston, S.C., initially posted hair tutorials on social media. But when the World Cup kicked off and Haaland began scoring for Norway, thousands of comments flooded her posts. “I think that I’ve had probably over 100,000 comments in the last two hours saying how much I look like (Erling Haaland),” Willman said in a post earlier this week. “First of all, the best doppelganger you give me is a male soccer player? Really? Can’t we just go back to when you guys were calling me (Swedish singer) Zara Larsson?”
Haaland's Comment Sparks Frenzy
The viral moment escalated when Haaland himself commented on one of Willman's posts with a simple “Hi” and a thumbs-up emoji. The post has since garnered over 1.4 million likes. Fans reacted with comments like “Great two goals against Brazil today!” and “Yo nice brace vs Brazil congrats on getting to the quarter finals.” One user asked, “Haaland’s long lost sister?”
Willman noted that she had received Haaland comparisons before, but the World Cup amplified them. She also mentioned comparisons to Taylor Swift and Millie Bobby Brown, but the Haaland resemblance has dominated.
Leaning Into the Look
On Thursday, Willman demonstrated how to achieve Haaland's signature slicked-back ponytail, though she admitted he does it better. She has teamed up with prediction market site Kalshi to host a lookalike contest in Miami ahead of the Norway vs. England quarterfinal match. The winner will receive two tickets to the game at Hard Rock Stadium, which Willman will attend to “see if the Haaland rumours about herself are true.” She also secured a paid partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings and posted a clip waiting for her “twin” to share a meal and watch a match.
