Emma Kate Willman, a social media influencer from Charleston, South Carolina, has experienced a surge in online popularity due to her striking resemblance to World Cup soccer superstar Erling Haaland.
Willman, who initially gained a following for her hair tutorials, noticed an unusual increase in Instagram notifications during the recent World Cup. "I think that I've had probably over 100,000 comments in the last two hours, saying how much I look like [Erling Haaland]," she stated. She humorously remarked on the comparison, saying, "First of all, the best doppelganger you give me is a male soccer player? Really?"
Fans have flooded her videos with comments, highlighting the resemblance. One user wrote on a video of Willman styling her hair, "Everyone is talking about Haaland's diet routine. Here is the beauty routine." Another comment read, "@erling found your long lost sister," while a third simply stated, "Damn you look so much like Haaland."
Initially surprised, Willman has since embraced the comparisons. In one video, she styled her hair in a manner similar to the Manchester City forward, a clip that garnered over one million likes. Haaland himself has acknowledged the comparisons, commenting "Hi" with a thumbs-up emoji on one of her posts.
To capitalize on the viral trend, Willman is set to host an Erling Haaland lookalike contest in Miami. In collaboration with the predictions market platform Kalshi, the event will take place at Bayfront Park Fountain on Saturday, four hours before Haaland's Norway team is scheduled to play England in a quarterfinal World Cup match. The winner of the lookalike contest will receive two tickets to the game. Willman shared her idea for the contest, stating, "What if we put everybody who looks like Haaland in the same room?"
