Erling Haaland has been dubbed an honorary Malayali by the internet (Credit: X/KeralaTourism, Instagram/mancity) FIFA fan or not, Erling Haaland no longer needs an introduction. The Norwegian football player has been smashing goals left, right and centre on the field. Off it, his social media antics across Snapchat, fan sightings and his touristy bucket lists have been keeping the internet blissfully busy. He's a star alright, but he's also refreshingly humble, and unaware of the ripple effect he's been having. His authenticity is what ups the oddball charm times ten. That being said, Kerala isn't going to let Haaland forget his roots! Last night, the official social media handles of Kerala Tourism, shared half a head shot of what was unmistakably Haaland's blonde locks tucked up in a bun. Dressed on it, in what is obviously a clean photoshop attempt, is a gajra. Read that sentence again and if you're squinting your eyes, the picture clarifies, that it is in fact a 'garland' - a hilarious wordplay on the Norwegian footballers name. This seems to be a cheeky take on a series the page has been pushing out, with the hashtag, #worldcupinkerala - reimagining how subtly but surely redefined things would be if the world tournament would be hosted in 'God's Own Country'. The caption to the post read, "Scoring goals and serving looks." and even carried a hashtag reading: "Kerala Loves Football". Shortly after the 'garland' post, the page shared another fun take on this effort. The post carried a split video with the notorious 'Viking Row' in FIFA matches and the Champakkuam Boat Race with hashtags reading "Every Match a Home Match" and even "Kerala Loves Norway". For context, Norwegian football fans thronging the FIFA stadiums are doing a synchronised 'rowing' motion in a bid to cheer on team Norway. The effort has since, been going viral for its insane coordination and has been dubbed the Viking Row. This one is truly a sight to behold as thousands of fans, dressed in red jerseys, hunker down on their seats and mimic the action of rowing a Viking longship - A-plus coordination indeed! On the other hand, the Champakkulam Boat Race or Champakkulam Moolam Vallam Kali is a famous, traditional snake boat race, typically held on the Pamba River in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. This event marks the opening of Kerala's boat racing season, a major cultural attraction of the state. And both these completely unrelated events, at least in the video, seem like they're mimicking each other. Kerala Tourism's caption made it even more hilarious: "A pre-match tip for Norway, straight from Kerala's World Cup playbook." Back in August 2023, English Premier League team Manchester City wished everyone a Happy Onam in Malayalam. Though a sweet gesture indeed, the hullabaloo around their social media upload was less about them using Malayalam and more about the image that came with it. It was none other than Haaland himself, standing in front of photoshopped house boats, striking a smile while biting down on a fried pappadum. Yet another sight to behold. At the time, Kerala Tourism had reshared the image to their Facebook page coupled with the following caption: "The English Premier League squad with 32 major championships wishes all Malayalees a good Onam. There is a sizable Malayalee fan base for Manchester City all across the world." Kerala Tourism minister of the time, PA Mohamed Riyas, had also commented on the post: "Manchester City is among the world's top football clubs and they have dedicated followers in Kerala as well. The Instagram picture is effectively a token of the club's gratitude to us." Now this is one crossover that came completely out of the blue - but no one's complaining! Travel News - Find latest news and tips based on Indian and World travel including top 10 travel destination, tourism information, how to reach visit and more at Times Now. Aalokitaa Basu is a writer and Senior Copy Editor whose work explores the intersection of lifestyle, culture, beauty, wellness, and self-possession. H... View More