Beauty creator Emma Kate Willman, best known for her hair braiding tutorials on social media, has unexpectedly become one of the internet’s most talked-about personalities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What began as a few playful comments quickly snowballed into a global viral sensation, with thousands of football fans convinced that the influencer bears an uncanny resemblance to Norwegian superstar striker Erling Haaland.
Since the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Emma’s Instagram and TikTok accounts have been flooded with comments from football supporters who jokingly insist she looks almost identical to the Manchester City and Norway forward.
Many have affectionately dubbed the 24-year-old influencer Haaland’s “long-lost twin sister,” while others have gone even further by pretending that she actually is the football star posting beauty content in disguise.
The hilarious mix-up has produced countless entertaining comments beneath Emma’s hairstyling videos. Under one of her popular braiding tutorials, a fan joked, “Great match today, brother.” Another commenter wrote, “That run for your second goal was absolutely insane.
Good luck against England!” The playful messages kept pouring in, turning what was once a niche beauty account into an unexpected destination for football fans from around the world.
The comparison isn’t entirely without reason. Besides sharing similar facial features, Emma and Haaland also have nearly identical long blond hair.
The Norwegian striker has frequently worn his hair tied back in ponytails or braided styles during matches, making the resemblance even more striking whenever Emma posts new hairstyling videos.
With matching hairstyles and similar expressions, many viewers admit they had to take a second look before realizing they weren’t actually looking at the football star.
At first, Emma admitted she was completely confused by the sudden flood of football-related comments. Unsure why thousands of sports fans had suddenly discovered her page, she decided to address the situation with her trademark sense of humor. On July 5, she uploaded a lighthearted video poking fun at the unexpected comparisons.
“With all due respect to Haaland, I’m just a little girl from Charleston,” she joked in the clip, making it clear that she found the entire situation amusing rather than annoying.
Instead of ignoring the viral trend, Emma decided to embrace it wholeheartedly. Realizing that the internet was having fun with the resemblance, she leaned into the joke by recreating some of Haaland’s most recognizable hairstyles. In one video, she copied the footballer’s signature double braids, while another featured the famous bun he often wears during matches.
Her willingness to laugh along with fans only made the trend even more popular. The videos attracted millions of views as football supporters and beauty enthusiasts alike joined in on the fun, celebrating the wholesome crossover between two completely different online communities.
The viral phenomenon reached an entirely new level when Haaland himself discovered Emma’s videos. Visiting her social media page, where she has amassed more than 146,000 followers on Instagram and over 414,000 on TikTok, the Norwegian striker left a single-word comment beneath her most popular video.
“Hello.”
That simple greeting instantly became one of the internet’s favorite moments of the week. Fans rushed to like the comment, which quickly accumulated more than two million likes while generating thousands of additional replies. Many joked that the “twins” had finally acknowledged one another, while others celebrated Haaland’s willingness to join the joke himself.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Emma admitted that the entire experience still feels surreal.
“I never would have imagined that simply braiding my hair would lead to millions of people comparing me to Erling Haaland,” she said. “It has been incredible watching the internet have so much fun with it. But when Erling himself commented on my video, it became completely surreal.”
She added that the overwhelming positivity surrounding the viral moment has been the most rewarding part of the experience.
“I’m just grateful that so many people decided to embrace this wave of positivity and humor,” Emma explained.
The story may not end online. This weekend, Emma plans to attend Norway’s World Cup match against England in Miami, where she will cheer for the player many now jokingly call her “twin.” Naturally, fans are already hoping the two will finally meet face-to-face.
“It would be so much fun if our paths actually crossed in real life after all of this,” Emma said with a smile.
What started as a simple beauty tutorial has transformed into one of the World Cup’s most unexpected viral stories.
Emma Kate Willman’s good-natured response, combined with Haaland’s willingness to join the joke, has created a wholesome internet moment that continues to entertain millions of football fans and social media users alike.
Sometimes, all it takes is a hairstyle, a sense of humor, and a remarkable resemblance for an ordinary content creator to become part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
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