Erling Haaland traded his football boots for a front-row seat at the ice rink on Thursday, joining his Norway team-mates to watch the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in game five of the NHL play-off series at the Lenovo Centre in Raleigh.

The Manchester City striker appeared entirely at ease, waving to the crowd when the Norway squad flashed up on the arena scoreboard and spinning a Hurricanes rally towel above his head. He arrived in a grey polo shirt before later pulling on a white and red Hurricanes jersey bearing the number nine — the same number he wears for both club and country.

The outing came with Haaland on the verge of a milestone: he will make his long-awaited World Cup debut when Norway face Iraq on 16 June (23:00 BST) in Boston. Norway are appearing at their first World Cup since 1998 and their first major tournament since Euro 2000.

The squad has already captured attention before a ball is kicked. They posed in authentic Viking costumes for a dramatic pre-tournament photograph by acclaimed British photographer David Yarrow, titled The Vikings Are Coming, and also released a team photo showcasing the shirts of their players' first clubs.

Norway are based in Greensboro, North Carolina — roughly 80 miles from Raleigh — throughout the tournament. The trip to see the Hurricanes came less than a fortnight after Norway's national ice hockey team stunned Canada in overtime to claim the bronze medal at the World Championships, making this a golden period for Norwegian sport.

The Hurricanes, chasing their first Stanley Cup title in 20 years, lead the Golden Knights 3-2 in the best-of-seven series after a 4-2 win in game five.

After their opener against Iraq, Norway face Senegal on 23 June (01:00 BST) in New Jersey before rounding off their group stage against France on 26 June (20:00 BST) in Boston.