Erling Haaland swapped football for ice hockey as he joined his Norway team-mates to watch a Stanley Cup play-off match ahead of the country’s World Cup campaign.
The Manchester City forward was among the Norwegian players in attendance at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in game five of their NHL play-off series.
Haaland appeared relaxed throughout the evening, waving to supporters after the Norway squad was shown on the arena’s big screen and enthusiastically swinging a Hurricanes rally towel above his head.
Haaland embraces hockey atmosphere
The 25-year-old arrived at the venue wearing a grey polo shirt before later changing into a Carolina Hurricanes jersey featuring the number nine, matching the shirt number he wears for both Manchester City and Norway.
The Hurricanes moved into a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup series with the victory as they continue their bid for a first championship title in two decades.
Photos and videos from the event quickly circulated on social media, showing Haaland enjoying the atmosphere alongside his international team-mates.
Norway preparing for historic return
The visit came as Norway continue preparations for their first World Cup appearance since 1998 and their first major international tournament since Euro 2000.
Haaland is expected to make his World Cup debut when Norway face Iraq in their opening group-stage match on 16 June.
The striker has become the face of Norwegian football in recent years, and fans will be hoping he can inspire the nation to a memorable tournament after decades away from the global stage.
Team making headlines off the pitch
Norway have already attracted attention before kicking a ball at the tournament.
The squad recently posed in authentic Viking costumes for a special photo shoot titled The Vikings Are Coming, while another team photograph celebrated the players’ roots by featuring shirts from their first clubs.
The team is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the duration of the competition, with Raleigh located around 80 miles away.
Tough group-stage challenge awaits
Following their opener against Iraq in Boston, Norway will travel to New Jersey to face Senegal before returning to Boston for their final group-stage fixture against France.
With Haaland leading the attack, Norway will hope their World Cup journey begins as successfully as their night at the ice hockey rink.
For now, the striker appears to be enjoying the experience before finally stepping onto football’s biggest stage.
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