What to know about Erling Haaland, the Norwegian World Cup star finding viral fame off the field
Erling Haaland has helped lead the Norwegian national team to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup and in the process has become a global soccer sensation on and off the pitch.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated Norway vs. England match in Miami on Saturday, get to know more below about the Gen Z striker who has transcended the tournament with his unique personality.
Who is Erling Haaland? Get to know the Norwegian soccer star
Whether it's leading his team in a celebratory viking row chant after a win, surging to the top of Spotify charts or an sharing a glimpse into his high-protein diet with his 60 million Instagram followers -- which is more than 10 times the population of the country he represents -- the 25-year-old has amassed serious star power throughout this World Cup.
Erling, who was born in Leeds, England, before moving to Norway where he was raised and started his soccer career, made his international debut with Norway in September 2019.
"I lived in England for three and a half or four years," Haaland said in an interview last season, according to ESPN. "I lived in Norway for such a long time so it was natural for me to choose Norway.
In five appearances so far this World Cup, Erling has netted seven goals -- just one behind France's Kylian Mbappé and Argentina's Lionel Messi who both have eight -- ending each with his signature meditation pose.
What does Erling Haaland eat?
The six-foot four-inch footballer eats roughly 6,000 calories per day, consuming lots of whole foods such as steak, fish, eggs, raw milk and honey, according to his YouTube videos.
The team's head chef, Aron Espeland, told ABC News that while Haaland's diet is "very strict" its' his job as the chef to "bring the produce that is good and prepare it with love and serve it basically as it is," adding it's "not so complex cooking."
Haaland's partner Isabella Haugseng Johansen said in one vlog while helping prepare a steak dinner that he "eats so much" and is consistently thinking about "when is the next meal?" He regularly posts on stories about his pre and post-game meals, which has included everything from Tomahawk steaks to oysters.
According to Johansen, Haaland loves kebab, tacos, brisket -- and on their travels through North America during the tournament, he posted a snap outside of the iconic New York City pastrami sandwich spot, Katz's Delicatessen.
From viral memes in viking helmets to a resurgence of his teen music musings, Haaland continues to surprise fans.
He recently shot to the top of Spotify music charts in Norway for a remix dropped by famed Norwegian DJ Kygo of his viral rap song "Kygo Jo" that Haaland first released as a teenager.
"@erling being a nr 1 artists in Norway was not on my bingo card for 2026," Kygo wrote on Instagram, which Haaland reposted to his stories Thursday.
Sizing up the World Cup quarterfinal: Erling Haaland vs. Harry Kane
Haaland, who also plays for Manchester City Football Club, will face his former Tottenham Hotspur Premier League rival, Harry Kane, on Saturday.
Norway has only competed in three World Cups previously, one of which included Haaland's father Alfie in 1994 that didn't make it past the group stage.
The nation's best performance was making the Round of 16 in 1998, but has been absent from the international tournament for 28 years.
England has won all of its matches, except a 0-0 draw against Ghana in the group stage, and is looking to win its first World Cup title since 1966.
Norway advanced out of the group stage with two wins, only one loss to France, and most recently knocked out Brazil 2-1.
The England-Norway match will take place at 5 p.m. ET and airs live on Fox and Telemundo.
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