Erling Haaland has scored against some of the best defenders in world football.
This week, before his first ever World Cup match, he found himself simply enjoying being a fan, at an ice rink in North Carolina.
The Manchester City striker and his Norway teammates attended Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh.
Norway’s stars watched the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to move to a 3-2 series lead.
Haaland was spotted waving to the crowd at the Lenovo Center, swinging a Hurricanes rally towel above his head like he had been a season-ticket holder his whole life.
The Hurricanes recognized the moment and outfitted the entire Norwegian squad in their team gear, turning a group of elite footballers into honorary hockey fans for the night.
It captured something bigger than just one player enjoying a night off.
The World Cup being held in North America has allowed players from every corner of the world to experience the continent’s diverse sporting culture first hand.
Haaland was not even the only superstar soaking up American life that week, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was spotted enjoying a trip to a Walmart in Georgia.
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For Haaland, the timing of the outing made it even more fitting.
He arrived in the United States off the back of a season in which he scored 27 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.
Norway opened their World Cup campaign against Iraq, finally giving Haaland the World Cup debut he was denied four years ago, when Norway failed to qualify.
He has waited a long time for this tournament.
Before kicking a ball, he made sure to enjoy everything else America had to offer first.
