(Russian model Anastasia Kostromina. Photo by Punch News)
Friends and family had, for a few years, been telling Russian model Anastasia Kostromina that she resembled Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, but it wasn’t until he emerged as one of the World Cup’s biggest stars that she decided to share the comparison online.
Earlier this month, she posted a video on Instagram highlighting the resemblance to Haaland capturing not just her looks but also mimicking some of his now-signature mannerisms and distinctive facial expressions. The clip quickly took off, amassing 6.4 million likes.
“At first, I did not even know what was happening, it felt like a dream,” Kostromina told AFP in Moscow, adding that she “never expected” the video to go so viral.
“But I’m happy about it anyway,” the 24-year-old said.
Haaland, 25, has emerged as one of the biggest social media sensations of the World Cup, with the Manchester City forward now boasting 68.8 million followers across social platforms.
The striker shone at the tournament, netting seven goals including a brace against Brazil in the round of 16 as Norway advanced to the quarter-finals before falling 2-1 to England.
Kostromina admitted she had mixed feelings when first told she resembled the towering male footballer, but has since embraced the comparison.
“At first, to be honest, I didn’t even understand how I could possibly resemble a male football player.
But then I started to take it with a sense of humour and now I’m completely fine with it,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, she had been cheering for Norway throughout the tournament and was disappointed when they were eliminated.
“I was really rooting for them and was on the edge of my seat,” she said, reflecting on their final match in the competition.
Russia has largely been excluded from international sporting competitions since its 2022 offensive in Ukraine and did not participate in this year’s World Cup.
Kostromina, who is represented by Moscow-based Motion Model Management, expressed hope that Haaland would “see my video, maybe even laugh.”
