Who is Emma Kate Willman? Meet the influencer fans call Erling Haaland's ‘long-lost sister'

Who is Emma Kate Willman? Meet the influencer fans call Erling Haaland's 'long-lost sister' (Image via IG) PEOPLE Who is Emma Kate Willman? She embraces the Erling Haaland comparison after viral social media reaction Erling Haaland's simple comment turns Emma Kate Willman's viral moment into a bigger story PEOPLE PEOPLE A hairstyle creator from South Carolina has unexpectedly found herself at the center of one of the internet's biggest World Cup jokes. Emma Kate Willman, known for posting braid and ponytail tutorials on social media, has been flooded with comments from football fans who believe she looks strikingly similar to Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. What started as a few jokes soon turned into thousands of comments across Instagram and TikTok after the 2026 FIFA World Cup began in June. The comparison became so popular that Haaland himself eventually joined the conversation, leaving a short comment on one of Willman's videos. Speaking to, Willman said the attention has been surprising and unlike anything she expected from her hair-styling content.Emma Kate Willman is a 24-year-old social media creator from Charleston, South Carolina, who has built a large following by sharing hair-styling tutorials, especially different braid and ponytail looks. She has gained hundreds of thousands of followers across Instagram and TikTok through her easy-to-follow beauty content.But over the past few weeks, many followers have been paying more attention to her appearance than her braiding techniques.Fans began pointing out similarities between her and Haaland, especially because both are known for wearing long blonde hair pulled back into braids or buns. Soon, her comment sections were packed with football-related messages.Some users jokingly congratulated her on Norway's performances, while others called her Haaland's 'long-lost sister.'At first, Willman admitted she was confused by the comparisons. In a video shared on July 5, she joked that her best celebrity lookalike turned out to be a male football player. Rather than ignore the trend, however, she decided to have fun with it.She began recreating some of Haaland's most recognizable hairstyles, including his double braids and the hairstyle fans now call the 'Haaland bun.' The playful posts only added fuel to the viral trend and brought even more football fans to her pages.The online joke reached another level when Haaland finally responded.Earlier this week, the Manchester City and Norway forward left a brief comment — 'Hi👍🏻' — on one of Willman's Instagram posts. It was only a single word and an emoji, but fans loved it. The comment quickly attracted massive engagement, with millions reacting to the football star acknowledging the comparison.Speaking to, Willman said the entire experience has felt 'so surreal.''I never expected braiding my hair to turn into millions of people comparing me to Erling Haaland. It's been amazing to watch the internet have so much fun with it, and seeing Erling comment on my video made the whole thing feel even more unreal,' she said.Willman added that creators never know which piece of content will connect with people and said she is grateful that viewers have enjoyed the joke. According to, she plans to attend Norway's match against England in Miami, meaning there is a chance she could finally meet the footballer she has been compared to for weeks. She joked that it would be funny if their paths crossed after everything that has happened online.