Erling Haaland: Everything you need to know about the Norwegian goal machine

Manchester City's Erling Haaland is reportedly interested in a move to Real Madrid: Imago

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Erling Haaland playing for Manchester City

Erling Haaland: Everything you need to know about the Norwegian goal machine

Kolawole Babatunde 19:03 - 12.10.2023

Erling Haaland is a professional soccer player for Norway and Manchester City FC of England. He is a one-time UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and Premier League player of the year. He was born in Leeds, England and currently holds the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single Premier League season, with 36 goals in the 2022–23 season. His father, Alf-Inge Håland, also played professional soccer and was a Norwegian international who played as a defender and midfielder.

Erling Haaland profile summary

Full name: Erling Braut Haaland

Gender: Male

Date of birth: July 21, 2000 (age 23)

Age: 23 years (as of October 2023)

Place of birth: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Current residence: Smithfield Estate, Manchester, United Kingdom

Nationality: Norwegian

Ethnicity: White

Religion: Unconfirmed

Height: 6 ft. 4 in. (1.94 m)

Weight: 88 kg (194 lbs)

Hair color: Blonde 

Eye color: Blue

Father: Alfie Haaland

Mother: Gry Marita Braut

Marital status: Single

Position: Striker

Jersey number: 9

Current team: Manchester City FC of England

Net worth: $40 million

Erling Haaland with his PFA Award
Erling Haaland with his PFA Award. (Photo Credit: Man City/X) Erling Haaland with his PFA Award

Who is Erling Haaland?

Erling Braut Haaland is a professional soccer player who currently plays as a striker for Norway and Manchester City in the English Premier League. Haaland is the son of retired Norwegian soccer player Alfie Haaland and former women's heptathlon athlete Gry Marita Braut. He has two cousins, Jonatan Braut Brunes and Albert Tjåland, who are also professional soccer players. The striker has two siblings: an older brother, Astor, who is a finance student at the BI Norwegian Business School, and a younger sister, Gabrielle, a medical associate.

Where's Erling Haaland from?

Haaland is from Norway but was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, in 2000. However, his parents returned home in 2004, moving to Bryne, Norway, where he grew up.

When was Erling Haaland born?

Haaland was born on July 21, 2000, and is 23 years old as of October 2023.

Erling Haaland as a kid

Erling Haaland as a kid
A throwback of Erling Haaland in a Manchester City shirt as a kid. Credit: The Sun Erling Haaland as a kid

Erling’s father, Alfie Haaland, was playing for Leeds United in the Premier League at the time he was born. His family moved back to his parents' hometown in Bryne, Norway, when he was three years old. Haaland began playing soccer at a very young age, along with several other sports, such as handball, golf, and track and field.

According to reports, he achieved a world record of 1.63 meters in his age category in 2006 for the standing long jump when he was five years old.

Who's Erling Haaland's father?

Haaland and his father
Erling Haaland and his father, Alfie Haaland. Credit: Pulse sports Nigeria Haaland and his father

Alfie Haaland was born on November 20, 1972, and is a retired professional soccer player who played as a right-back or midfielder for the Norwegian national team and several clubs across Norway and England.

He was involved in a famous row with ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane. During a Manchester derby in April 2001, Roy Keane tackled Alfie, earning himself a red card. Alfie went ahead to make the popular statement: "I dislike [Manchester] United, and I can't stand their players".

Alfie had been nursing a knee injury that eventually caused him to retire in July 2003. However, he came out of retirement eight years later, in 2011, to play for Bryne-based club Rosseland BK in the Norwegian Third Division, before retiring for the final time in 2013.

Erling Haaland's height

The striker is 6 feet, 4 inches tall (1.94 m) and weighs 88kg (194 pounds). He is one of the most imposing strikers in soccer, and his enormous body size has earned him a couple of nicknames. The nicknames include Man-child, The Terminator, Big Earl, Striking Viking, Zlatan Jr., and Daemon.

Is Erling Haaland married?

No, he is not married. Erling, however, has a girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen.

Erling Haaland and girlfriend

Erling has been in a relationship with Isabel Haugseng Johansen since his playing days at Borussia Dortmund in Germany. They were spotted together for the first time in November 2022, during a holiday in Marbella, Spain, and their relationship was confirmed.

Haaland’s girlfriend is also a soccer player who currently plays for the women's senior team of the Norwegian team Bryne Fotballklubb. The couple met at Bryne's youth academy and have been friends ever since.

Haaland and Haugseng Johansen have been spotted together more often since he moved to Manchester City. The cameras captured the couple sharing an intimate moment after City won the 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul.

Erling Haaland stats

Erling Haaland with the Premier League golden boot
Erling Haaland won the 2022/23 Premier League Golden Boot with 36 league goals. Credit: Imago Erling Haaland with the Premier League golden boot

The Manchester City striker has produced excellent numbers throughout his career. He is known for scoring at an abnormally high rate. Here is a breakdown of his numbers: 

Season

Team

Total appearances

Goals scored

2015

Bryne 2

3

2

2016

Bryne 2

11

16

2016

Bryne

16

-

2017

Molde 2

4

2

2017

Molde

20

4

2018

Molde

30

16

2018–19

Red Bull Salzburg

5

1

2019–20

Red Bull Salzburg

22

28

2019–20

Borussia Dortmund

18

16

2020–21

Borussia Dortmund

41

41

2021–22

Borussia Dortmund

30

29

2022–23

Manchester City

53

52

       2023–24          Manchester City                  12             8

Erling Haaland for Norway

Erling Haaland in action for Norway
Erling Haaland in action for Norway. Credit: @erling.haaland/Instagram Erling Haaland in action for Norway

Haaland has represented Norway at various age grades. In the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he scored a record nine goals in a single match, winning the tournament’s golden boot award despite being eliminated in the group stage.

Haaland was eligible to play for England because he was born in Leeds, but England manager Gareth Southgate stated that the striker only wished to play for Norway. He made his senior international debut in September 2019 against Malta. He has scored 25 goals in 26 appearances for Norway as of September 2023.

Erling Haaland salary

Haaland signed a five-year contract with Manchester City worth $35 million in June 2022, according to Forbes. Excluding bonuses and sponsorship extras, he earns $684,000 per week.

What does Erling Haaland eat?

The Manchester City striker has a strict diet that helps him gain muscle. His diet usually contains a lot of offal (especially liver and heart) as it helps him gain energy. He often enjoys lasagna before matches.

Speaking about his diet on  'The Big Decision', he said: "You guys don't eat this, but I'm concerned about taking care of my body. I think eating quality food that is as local as possible is the most important thing. People say that meat is bad, but... which one? The meat you buy at McDonald's? Or the local cow that eats grass right there? I eat the heart and liver."

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