Erling Haaland has not only brought Norway to new heights at the Fifa World Cup, but he has also captured the hearts of football fans and non-fans alike.
On July 5, the 25-year-old footballer scored two goals in a match against Brazil, sending Norway into the competition’s quarter finals for the very first time.
Haaland is also in the running for the World Cup’s Golden Boot race with seven goals — just one shy of Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
The highly coveted award is given to the top goal scorer at the end of the tournament.
With his chaotic play style and his unfiltered, relatable social media posts, Haaland has been widely talked about throughout the World Cup season.
After winning the match against Ivory Coast on June 30, Haaland swapped his Viking helmet for a cowboy hat as he browsed a store in Texas.
Introducing Cowboy Haaland
(via Snapchat/erling.haaland) pic.twitter.com/cjJ3mtdV0p
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 1, 2026
One of his most iconic moments? Leading his team in the football chant Viking Row after beating Brazil.
@asiaone Should Singapore come up with its own iconic football celebration? 🇸🇬🤔 #Haaland #Norway #Brazil #Football #WorldCup
Haaland has also been recently featured in Nike Football’s ad which highlights his prowess on the pitch.
The football star’s newfound global fame has also led to older videos of him resurfacing, including one of him being interviewed by Blackpink’s Jisoo when he visited South Korea in 2023.
Haaland’s larger-than-life personality has also sparked a wave of memes and gifs, including an AI-generated clip where he gets spooked by his own reflection and spoofs of him as a character in hit romance game Love and Deepspace.
Haaland started playing competitive football as a child and has been playing for Premiere League club Manchester City since 2022.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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