Erling Haaland’s image found on cocaine packages seized in Ecuador
Ecuadorian police have seized 370 packages of cocaine bearing images of Norwegian football star Erling Haaland during an anti-drug operation near the Colombian border, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
According to police, anti-narcotics officers acted on an anonymous tip received early Tuesday and stopped a suspicious truck on the Pan-American Highway, Al Jazeera reports.
During a search, officers discovered 370 packages concealed in a false compartment in the bottom of the vehicle. Police footage showed the packages being removed from the truck, with stickers featuring Haaland’s image clearly visible.
Authorities say drug trafficking groups commonly mark shipments with images or names of famous athletes and celebrities to identify the criminal network responsible for the drugs or the intended recipient.
Haaland was among the leading scorers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada, where his performances and personality attracted widespread attention online.
He is not the first football star whose image has appeared on seized drugs. Packages featuring Argentina captain Lionel Messi have also previously been discovered.
Police arrested a woman identified as María R., who was carrying Colombian identity documents, in the Guagua Negro area near Tulcan, around 246 kilometers north of Quito.
Authorities estimated the shipment's value at nearly $842,000 in Ecuador, more than $11 million in the United States and over $19.6 million in Europe.
Ecuador is a major transit and distribution hub for cocaine destined primarily for North America and Europe.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Somali referee Omar Artan, who missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, was set to make history as the first non-European referee to officiate a UEFA Super Cup final.