Vikings landed on the shores of the United States in early June, and while their numbers are few, they’re dominating American pop culture this summer. Team Norway and its biggest star, 6-foot-5 Erling Haaland, are having an outsize impact on American hearts — and World Cup soccer — as they dazzle fans with their on- and off-the-field antics. Haaland has been a breakout star of the World Cup as he led Norway to historic success. The world has enjoyed watching Haaland and his Norway teammates gather on the field after a win and lead fans in their viral post-game celebration, the Viking row. The celebration has been such a sensation that Google created a celebratory animation of rowing Vikings that pop up when you search “Erling Haaland.” Norway’s men’s soccer team went viral before the World Cup began when they released a team photo titled “The Vikings Are Coming,” captured by renowned British Photographer David Yarrow, in early June. The team is dressed like Vikings in the photo and posed in front of a fjord filled with Viking longships, holding ancient weapons as if they were going into battle. The image is serious but playful, and it foreshadowed things to come: Norway’s players were going to war on the soccer pitch, and they were going to have a great time doing it. Haaland reportedly played a substantial role in making the team Viking photo happen. He also played a substantial role in securing Norway’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years and has already scored seven goals since tournament play began. Haaland, who has over 60 million Instagram followers, is a worldwide soccer legend at age 25. In his first season with his club team, Manchester City, he helped win a prestigious treble of soccer titles, the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, in a single season. He’s been awarded the Premier League Golden Boot, for scoring the most goals of any striker in the league, three times. When Norway unexpectedly beat legendary soccer favorite Brazil to reach its first World Cup quarterfinal match in the nation’s history, Haaland seemed genuinely shocked by the win in a post-match vlog posted on his YouTube channel. He told his fans, “This still doesn’t feel real because it’s just so far off. I could never think of this happening, which also make its so crazy in my head that we actually managed to beat Brazil and go through.” While many professional athletes are known for their ego and arrogance, Haaland comes across as humble, grateful, and playful amid astonishing success. His happy-go-lucky attitude is a part of what makes Haaland such a likable player and person. “We just played football and enjoyed it,” Haaland said about the Brazil match in the vlog. “I remember I said it right before the game started, ‘Guys, no matter what happens, just smile and enjoy it.’” No one is enjoying the World Cup as much as Haaland, who has been documenting his experiences in America on his YouTube channel. A video titled “Haaland takes over America!” shows him loving American culture as he tries out a southern accent, using the phrase “Y’all,” and has a blast attending a professional ice hockey game with his teammates. “The national anthem was incredible. Amazing. I had goosebumps all over,” Haaland said in the video. “I never, ever expected this. Atmosphere is unreal.” After scoring the winning goal against the Ivory Coast in Norway’s first knockout round game, Haaland headed to Wild Bill’s Western Store in Dallas to buy himself a cowboy hat and boots. He posted a 10-minute video of the excursion, showing him and colleagues endearingly enjoying Texas hospitality and culture. Before leaving the Texas store, Haaland purchased a shirt that says “Y’all Can Kiss My Dallas” and posted a photo of himself wearing the shirt along with a cowboy hat and boots on Instagram, with the simple caption “Howdy!” The picture went viral, and Americans loved seeing Haaland’s embrace of local culture. The image is now the front image on Wild Bill’s Western Store, which thanked Haaland for the visit in a social media post, writing, “As a family-owned business, moments like these mean the world to us. Thank you for stopping by and spending time with our team.” My son, who is a huge soccer fan, has been watching every video Haaland posts. I think he’s a fantastic example for him of what it looks like to work hard and be successful while not taking yourself too seriously. In the online world that is often full of narcissism and despair, Haaland’s positivity and joy are refreshing to see. They remind us all that the pursuit of excellence doesn’t have to be devoid of joy. A June social media post from Haaland showed he was largely unrecognized while walking around New York City. If Norway miraculously makes it back to the area for the World Cup final, that anonymity will be impossible to replicate. Soccer-shy Americans have embraced Haaland and his team of Vikings to the extent that fans are clamoring to buy the hair ties he uses. Regardless of the outcome of their quarterfinal game against England, Norway players are already winners. They have one of the best and most likable soccer players on their side, have exceeded their own expectations, and have secured the Viking row as one of soccer’s GOAT celebrations. They’ve shown the world that Vikings are still warriors today — and they’re also a lot of fun. *** This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.