LayarHijau— The fever of the 2026 World Cup didn’t just ignite emotions on the pitch; it exploded into a massive digital pop-culture phenomenon in China. Surprisingly, the spotlight wasn’t solely on traditional football powerhouses, but on Norway’s star striker, Erling Haaland. Even though Norway’s historic run ended in the quarter-finals with a 1-2 extra-time loss to England in mid-July 2026, Haaland’s popularity on the Chinese internet hit an all-time high. The towering forward won over China’s Gen Z not just with his goal-scoring prowess, but with a quirky, self-deprecating humor that resonated deeply with the general public.
“Abstract Energy” and the Surprise Takeover of Xiaohongshu
On Xiaohongshu (Red Note), a platform dominated by lifestyle and trend hunters, Haaland unexpectedly became the new muse thanks to his unique personality. Hashtags related to the Norwegian striker racked up 982.3 million impressions in July 2026 alone (with total tournament-era views nearing 1.8 billion), as netizens identified his vibe as “abstract energy”—a local slang term for behavior that is surreal, random, and hilariously awkward.
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Remarkably, demographic data reveals a shift in sports content consumption: 56% of the active engagement in the “Ha Bao” (Baby Ha) trend was driven organically by female users. These fans pioneered a culture of editing Haaland’s fierce match photos with digital pigtails or shrinking his giant frame into cute, chibi-style cartoons. This extreme contrast between his brutal on-field performance and his passive, meme-ready facial expressions triggered millions of likes from female audiences.
Douyin’s Algorithm and the Viral Short-Video Storm
Haaland’s ability to position himself as an entertaining figure caused his algorithmic presence to explode on Douyin. Hashtags for local celebration challenges garnered over 1.4 billion views in just three weeks during the tournament. The platform was flooded with more than 320,000 user-generated content (UGC) videos, where users mimicked Haaland’s robotic running style and his iconic yoga celebrations, often with a comedic twist.
The trend went wild when local creators started syncing Haaland’s expressive face with traditional Chinese comedy audio clips, turning the striker into a vessel for Gen Z to express their daily work stress and burnout through humorous visuals.
Weibo Surge and the Nostalgic Wu Bai Connection
This organic digital popularity translated into a metric surge on Weibo, where Haaland’s official account gained over 500,000 new followers in days after the group stages began in June. The emotional bond with local netizens strengthened when Haaland celebrated previous wins by posting videos with Mandarin captions and, crucially, using the legendary Chinese song “Norwegian Forest” (挪威的森林) by musician Wu Bai as background music.
This smart choice indirectly linked the striker to Chinese pop nostalgia, creating a deep resonance with local viewers. When Norway’s run was halted by England due to Haaland’s thigh injury and exhaustion at the 105th minute, the reaction wasn’t silence—it was solidarity. Sympathy hashtags like “Haaland Being Subbed Off” topped Weibo’s national trending list with 45 million views, cementing his status as a pop idol who is genuinely cared for by the Chinese public.
Commercial Appeal: From Salmon Stands to Herbal Tea Ads
Brands quickly seized this internet culture phenomenon as a golden opportunity to reach Gen Z with a non-rigid approach. Over 750 supermarkets across major Chinese cities displayed life-sized standees of Haaland with his fierce expression in the salmon sections—a tactical move by the Norwegian Seafood Council that sparked a trend of locals visiting stores to take “check-in” photos (daka) for their social media.
This commercial success was capped off by the leading local herbal tea brand, Wanglaoji (Walovi), which released a special World Cup 2026 ad. In the spot, Haaland humorously “breathes fire” after eating spicy food before being cooled down by the tea. Clips from the ad were massively adopted as popular animated stickers on WeChat throughout the summer.
References & Data Sources:
FIFA Official World Cup 2026 Match Center – For official quarter-final statistics (England vs. Norway) and player performance data.
Xiaohongshu (Red Note) Data Analytics – Monthly impression reports for July 2026 and demographic analysis of female users for the #HaBao tag.
Douyin Data Center – Video view statistics (1.4 billion views) and UGC volume for Haaland-related challenges.
Weibo Hot Search Trend Database – Data on new follower spikes and view volumes for sympathy trending topics post-Norway’s elimination.
Jing Daily Commercial Report – Analysis of the Norwegian Seafood Council’s marketing strategy and salmon standee campaigns in Chinese retail.
Global Times China & Sixth Tone – Digital culture features on the “Abstract Energy” phenomenon and the viral use of Wu Bai’s “Norwegian Forest.”
Sina Sports (新浪体育) – Coverage of Chinese fan responses to the Wanglaoji (Walovi) brand collaboration and Haaland’s local social media activity.
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