Erling Haaland and the Norway squad attended game five of the NHL Stanley Cup playoff series between Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Haaland makes his World Cup debut on 16 June against Iraq (23:00 BST). The Manchester City striker soaked in the atmosphere, waving to the crowd when Norway appeared on the scoreboard, swinging a Hurricanes rally towel and sporting a number-nine Hurricanes jersey—matching his club and country number.
Norway returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and their first major tournament since Euro 2000. The squad is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, about 80 miles away. After Iraq, Norway face Senegal (23 June, 01:00 BST) and France (26 June, 20:00 BST).
Relaxed pre-tournament activities away from the training base often help players manage tournament stress. For bettors, however, this is pure context; real impact depends on Haaland's match fitness and goal-scoring form, not his leisure choices before kickoff.