Julia Grop, a Swedish model and content creator, has garnered significant attention on social media for her striking resemblance to Erling Haaland, the star striker for the Norway national team. Her viral success, particularly a video mimicking Haaland's distinctive running style, has attracted over 120 million views across various platforms, boosting her Instagram following by nearly 600,000 in just days. Notably, one of her posts even received interaction from Kylian Mbappe, France's star striker.

Grop embraced the comparison after noticing frequent comments about their similar looks. "We have quite similar facial structures, and both are Scandinavian, blonde, and blue-eyed", Grop stated, explaining the likeness. Her rise to fame coincided with Haaland's consistent stellar performance at the World Cup 2026, where he continued to captivate audiences.

Julia Grop's video simulating Erling Haaland's running style. *Video: Instagram Julia Grop*

Ahead of the 5/7 round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil, AI-generated videos featuring Haaland alongside Vinicius Junior circulated widely on social media, with both players engaging with these posts before their on-field clash. During the World Cup, Grop initially cheered for the Sweden national team. After their 0-3 loss to France in the round of 16, she shifted her support to Norway. "It would be great if a neighboring Scandinavian country won the championship", she commented.

The attention on Grop also highlights a broader trend: content creators capitalizing on the allure of sports stars. Data from UK-based marketing analytics platform Hopper HQ reveals that a single promotional post by famous athletes can be valued from hundreds of thousands to millions of USD. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi command the highest fees, with sponsored posts ranging from 2,6 million to over 3,2 million USD.

Model Julia Grop. *Photo: Bild*

Beyond the stars themselves, their lookalikes can also monetize this influence. E Some Lucas, known for his resemblance to Cristiano Ronaldo, and numerous Lionel Messi "doubles" earn 5,000 to 20,000 USD per event or advertising contract. With her video series exceeding 120 million views, Grop is well-positioned to attract collaborations from sports and fashion brands.

By Ngoc Ngan (Source: Bild)