Erling Haaland was present at the 2026 World Cup not only through his goals and physical power on the pitch, but the Norwegian star's influence extended beyond the field after a new name emerged on social media platforms owing to a striking resemblance to the Manchester City striker.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Russian model Anastasia Kostrometina, who became a talking point on TikTok within days after fans noticed her strong likeness to Haaland — with some joking that she was his long-lost twin sister.
Kostrometina is 24 years old and a Russian model who shares photos from her work in the fashion world on her social media accounts, alongside video clips and entertainment content in which she has capitalised on her remarkable resemblance to the Norwegian star.
Her photos and videos quickly went viral after she began recreating some of Haaland's most famous moments — from his facial expressions to his goal celebrations — earning her considerable attention from football fans.
Her follower count on Instagram has surpassed 165,000, with a notable surge in her popularity since her Haaland-related videos began spreading during the World Cup. Despite Norway's exit from the 2026 World Cup following their quarter-final defeat to England, Haaland remained one of the tournament's standout stars after leading his national team to historic results against strong sides such as Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal.
Yet the Manchester City striker's impact did not stop at his on-pitch statistics, as he continued to draw attention through his social media presence and playful personality — before Kostrometina captured a share of that attention thanks to the striking resemblance between them.
In an era where social media platforms have become part of the story of major tournaments, Anastasia Kostrometina has become one of the amusing phenomena accompanying the 2026 World Cup. While Haaland chases records and goals, his Russian lookalike has found her own path to fame through shared features that have had fans asking in jest: has the world found a "female version of Haaland"?