Russian model Anastasia Kostromina has gone viral on Instagram for her uncanny physical resemblance to Norwegian football star Erling Haaland.
The surge in attention highlights the intersection of sports fandom and social media trends, particularly as the World Cup has increased global interest in the striker.
Kostromina, who is 24 [1], posted a series of videos earlier this month that showcased the likeness. The clips quickly gained traction across social media platforms, amassing more than six million likes [1]. According to reports, friends and family have told the model for a few years that she resembles the athlete [3].
Kostromina decided to embrace the comparison by sharing the content online. She said the experience of the videos going viral felt "like a dream" [2]. When discussing the resemblance, she said, "Not bad at all" [0].
The story spread globally after the initial posts in early July. While some reports spell her surname as Kostromina [1], others identify her as Anastasia Kostromitina [0].
Fans have reacted to the videos with surprise, often doing a double-take due to the similarity in facial features. The timing of the viral trend coincided with a period of heightened visibility for Haaland on the international stage.
“The viral video felt like a dream.”
This phenomenon demonstrates the power of algorithmic discovery on platforms like Instagram, where specific physical archetypes can trigger rapid global visibility. By leaning into a comparison with a high-profile athlete during a major tournament, Kostromina leveraged a peak moment of cultural interest to transition from a niche model to a viral personality.
