Russian Model's Striking Haaland Resemblance Goes Viral
A Moscow model's viral video imitating Erling Haaland's goal celebration has amassed over 107 million views, with fans joking about their striking physical resemblance including blonde hair and sharp features.
The online world is buzzing over a young Russian woman who bears a striking resemblance to Norway national team star Erling Haaland, with football fans jokingly calling them twins after a video of her mimicking his signature goal celebration pose went viral globally.
The woman is Anastasiya Kostromitina, a 24-year-old model from Moscow, Russia. The viral moment started when her mother Maria posted a humorous video on Instagram showing her daughter imitating Haaland's distinctive pose and celebration moves.
The timing was perfect, occurring just 24 hours after Haaland scored two goals against Brazil, when interest in the Norwegian striker was at peak intensity. The clip spread rapidly and went viral within hours.
Maria's Reels video garnered over 107 million views with more than 76,700 comments, while copycat videos from other users further amplified the trend, accumulating tens of millions of views in a single day.
What excited viewers was the uncanny similarity between the two—blonde hair, grayish-blue eyes, sharp facial features, and a distinctive gaze—leading netizens to joke: "Are they half-siblings?" Some even quipped: "No DNA test needed."
However, Anastasiya revealed that people have been comparing her to Haaland for over four years. Initially, she didn't feel good about it because she didn't understand why so many people saw her as resembling the famous footballer.
Over time, she changed her perspective, viewing it as a good opportunity and choosing to use the resemblance to her advantage. She noted that negative comments don't create problems, as they ultimately boost engagement on her content.
The trend coincided with buildup to the World Cup match between England and Norway, intensifying conversations about Haaland. He entered the tournament as joint top scorer with seven goals, so if he scores against England, Anastasiya's comment section will certainly explode.
