The least expected crossover between international football and otaku culture just gave us an absurdly cool moment. During the fever of the current 2026 World Cup, lethal Norwegian striker Erling Haaland went from being compared to a imposing Viking to officially becoming the living reincarnation of the legendary villain Majin Buu from the evergreen franchise Dragon Ball Z. And to the surprise of all fans, the player himself decided to play along with the community directly through his social media.

This phenomenon began to gain momentum online just after Norway’s surprising victory over Brazil. Fans quickly pointed out that the player’s thick neck, long blonde hair, and that particular almost diabolical smile he lets out on the field make him look identical to the plump, pink antagonist created by Akira Toriyama. The internet did its usual work, flooding platforms with conceptual art dressing Buu in the European team’s jersey and creating mockups that fused both figures into one.

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The drop that spilled the cup of virality was a post on Instagram where the striker was seen replicating one of the villain’s typical poses. To top the moment, Haaland himself appeared on July 6 in the comment box of the post to drop a simple but impactful: “I mean, I don’t disagree.” This interaction triggered an avalanche of applause from followers, who begged him to start using Majin Buu’s deadly poses to celebrate his next goals, especially with the tense quarterfinal match against England just around the corner.

Seeing that the player has no problem embracing his new role as the tournament’s ultimate antagonist, do you think he’ll dare to pull off a celebration straight from Toriyama’s masterpiece if he manages to eliminate the English squad from the World Cup?