STORY: As the Norwegian soccer star, Erling Haaland, shines at the FIFA World Cup 2026, his female lookalike from Russia is making a splash on social media.

Russian model, Anastasia Kostromitina, has shot to fame on Instagram (@nas__kos) with videos posts showing her mimicking Haaland. One of the most watched clips has just reached 110 million views and over 5 million likes.

Kostromitina, 24, who is a model at the Moscow-based "MOTION" model agency, told Reuters in Moscow on Friday (July 10) that she had never been interested in soccer. It was a friend of hers who first noticed her striking resemblance to the Norway and Manchester City forward, said Kostromitina.

At first the comments did not please Kostromitina at all.

"I could not understand why I was compared to a male soccer player," she says.

Acceptance came later and now Kostromitina takes it with a sense of humour and even uses it as a tool to boost her career as many brands are queueing to work with her as a model.

Kostromitina says she hopes Haaland likes her video posts but her biggest wish is to make a selfie with the Norwegian soccer star.

But besides Internet fame and modelling success, Kostromitina has taken up a new hobby: watching soccer matches.

And of course she is supporting Norway at the 2026 World Cup.

The Scandinavian country, which last made it to a World Cup playoff in the 1998 tournament staged in France, will face England in the quarterfinals of the current World Cup on Saturday (July 11) at 2100GMT.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 10, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. MODEL, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, POSING WITH PHOTO OF NORWEGIAN SOCCER PLAYER ERLING HAALAND ON HER PHONE SCREEN

2. KOSTROMITINA SHOWING INSTAGRAM REEL WHERE SHE MIMICS HAALAND

3. KOSTROMITINA KICKING FOOTBALL AND WALKING

4. VARIOUS OF KOSTROMITINA POSING WITH FOOTBALL

5. KOSTROMITINA'S PHOTO HANGING ON WALL AT MODEL AGENCY

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

"First, a female friend told me she had noticed I looked like the soccer player (Haaland). Then, my friends and family picked up on it, and it went on and on."

7. KOSTROMITINA POSING WITH HAALAND'S PHOTO

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

"In the beginning, I could not understand what I had (in my looks) that was like him, to be honest. Then I could not understand why I was compared to a male soccer player. Now I am OK with it. I have a sense of humour about it and can joke about this topic myself."

9. VARIOUS OF KOSTROMITINA POSING FOR PHOTOS

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

"When he (Haaland) became popular during this World Cup, a trend appeared on the Internet with people looking like him making videos, so, I decided: why not do the same, especially since everyone was telling me about it (Kostromitina's likeness to Haaland)."

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (ARCHIVE) (HANDOUT VIA 'MOTION' AGENCY – Access all)

11. (MUTE) ORIGINAL VIDEO THAT WAS LATER POSTED ON KOSTROMITINA'S INSTAGRAM FEED SHOWING HER MIMICKING HAALAND

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 10, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

""Now it (her video mimicking Haaland) has more than 100 million views. I did not expect that it could go so viral at all. But the (Instagram) views are still going up."

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (ARCHIVE) (HANDOUT VIA 'MOTION' AGENCY – Access all)

13. (MUTE) ANOTHER VIDEO POSTED IN KOSTROMITINA'S INSTAGRAM FEED

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 10, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

"Now (because of her mimicking Haaland video) I have more work and more commercials and this is great, I think."

15. KOSTROMITINA'S PORTFOLIO PHOTOS

16. KOSTROMITINA LOOKING AT HER PHOTOS WITH AGENCY HEAD

17. KOSTROMITINA SPEAKING WITH COLLEAGUES

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MODEL AT 'MOTION' AGENCY, ANASTASIA KOSTROMITINA, 24, SAYING:

"To be honest, I have never been a soccer fan. I did not follow soccer closely. But now, I definitely know more about soccer than I used to, and I also watch the World Cup. (REPORTER ASKING WHICH COUNTRY SHE SUPPORTS AT THE TOURNAMENT) Norway!"

19. VARIOUS OF KOSTROMITINA POSING IN FRONT OF MIRROR

20. MODEL AGENCY'S LOGO ON TABLE