The internet has a new Techno Viking: Erling Haaland gets the AI treatment

For anyone under a certain age, a quick history lesson. The original Techno Viking footage was filmed by artist Matthias Fritsch at Berlin’s Fuckparade in July 2000, capturing a shirtless, muscular blond man dancing with total conviction through the streets of the German capital. The clip resurfaced online in 2006 and immediately went stratospheric, becoming one of the earliest true meme icons in internet history. It is dance culture and rave folklore rolled into one two-minute clip.

Fast-forward to 2026, and AI tools have given the meme a very shiny second life. Clips edited to place Erling Haaland‘s face and body onto the original Techno Viking footage have been circulating heavily ahead of Norway’s World Cup quarter-final following his two-goal masterclass against Brazil in the Round of 16. Fans of techno and football have collided in the comments in a way that only 2026 could produce, and the Norwegian is now fully leaning into the association.

See the full round-up of AI Haaland-as-Techno-Viking clips via the OneFootball round-up. Rave culture, football culture, one very unexpected crossover.

This is too good.

Someone used AI to turn Haaland into the Norwegian techno viking.

credit: u/aasimpy pic.twitter.com/A6hkLZzObc

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