Erling Haaland is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team. He is known for his goal-scoring ability and muscular presence. Haaland was born on July 21, 2000 in Leeds, England, where his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing for Leeds United.
Haaland started playing football at a young age. He joined his first club, Bryne FK, in his hometown in Norway. He played for Bryne’s reserve and senior teams, scoring 18 goals in 14 games for the former. He then moved to Molde FK in 2017, where he spent two seasons. He scored 16 goals in 30 games for Molde, attracting the attention of many European clubs.
Haaland signed with Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg in January 2019, winning two league titles and one Austrian Cup. He also made his mark in the UEFA Champions League, becoming the first teenager to score goals in five consecutive matches. He scored 29 goals in 27 games for Salzburg, before moving to German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in December 2019.
Haaland continued his prolific form with Dortmund, scoring 62 goals in 67 games for the club. He won the DFB-Pokal in 2020-21 and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season. He also became the top scorer of the Champions League for two seasons in a row, with 10 goals in 2020-21 and 12 goals in 2021-22.
In the summer of 2022, Haaland transferred to Manchester City for a fee of €60 million (£51.2 million), joining his former coach Pep Guardiola. He was instrumental in the club winning a continental treble in his debut campaign, scoring 36 goals in 35 games. He broke several Premier League records, such as most goals scored in a season, quickest individual to score two, three and four hat-tricks, and first player to score hat-tricks in three consecutive home games. He was named Young Player of the Season and Premier League Player of the Season.
Haaland has also represented Norway at various youth levels. He won the Golden Boot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019, after scoring a record nine goals in a single match against Honduras. He made his senior debut for Norway in September 2019 and has scored 24 goals in 25 games for his country. He helped Norway qualify for their first World Cup since 1998.
Haaland is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and one of the most promising talents of his generation. He has won many individual awards and honors, such as the Golden Boy award in 2020 and the FIFA FIFPro World11 in 2021 and 2022. He holds many records and achievements, such as being the youngest player to score 20 goals in the Champions League and being the fastest player to reach 50 goals across Europe’s top five leagues.