Haaland represented Norway across youth level, winning theGolden Boot at the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored a record nine goals in a single match. He made his senior international debut for Norway in 2019, and has since scored 55 goals in 48 caps, making him Norway'sall-time top goalscorer.
Early life
Erling Braut Haaland[5] was born Erling Braut Håland[6] on 21 July 2000[7] inLeeds, West Yorkshire, England, as his fatherAlfie Haaland was playing forLeeds United in the Premier League at the time.[8] In 2004, at the age of three, he moved toBryne, his parents' hometown in Norway.[9][10]
Along with playing football from an early age, Haaland took part in various other sports as a child, includinghandball, golf, and track and field.[11] He also reportedly achieved a world record in his age category for thestanding long jump when he was five, with a recorded distance of 1.63 metres in 2006.[12]
Club career
Bryne
Haaland started in the academy of his hometown clubBryne at the age of five.[13][14]
During the2015 and2016 seasons, Haaland played forBryne 2 (Bryne's reserve team) in theNorwegian fourth tier and impressed, scoring 18 goals in 14 matches.[15] He debuted for Bryne 2 on 5 October 2015 in the Group 6 of the2015 fourth division in a 1–0 home loss againstStart reserves[16] and five days later he scored his first goal on senior level against Hei in a 2–1 defeat away toHeistad.[17] The following season he appeared more often in the Bryne 2 squad and he scored his first career hat-trick[18] on 19 September 2016, aged 16 and 2 months, in an away 5–3 win overVard Haugesund 2 in the Group 6 of the Norwegian fourth tier.[19]
In May 2016, Gaute Larsen was sacked as Bryne manager, and youth coach Berntsen was promoted tocaretaker manager. Having worked closely with Haaland in other youth teams, the interim manager handed the teenager his first start, three months before his 16th birthday.[20][14] His first game with Bryne FK was a second-tier1. divisjon match againstRanheim on 12 May.[21]
After having initially being deployed as awinger, Berntsen put Haaland in his favoured central role as astriker after a few matches. Although he failed to score in his breakthrough season at Bryne, Haaland was offered a trial by German clubTSG Hoffenheim before eventually moving toMolde to play underOle Gunnar Solskjær.[20] Haaland made 16 total senior appearances for Bryne.[15]
On 1 February 2017, Molde announced the signing of 16-year-old Haaland.[22] He made his debut for the club on 26 April in aNorwegian Cup match againstVolda TI, scoring on his debut in a 3–2 win.[23] Haaland's debut in theEliteserien came on 4 June, being brought on as a 71st-minutesubstitute againstSarpsborg 08 and receiving a yellow card in just over a minute of play on the pitch.[24] On 6 August 2017, Haaland scored the winner for Molde in the 77th minute againstTromsø IL, his first goal in the league.[25] His second strike of the season came on 17 September, as he bagged the decisive goal againstViking FK in a 3–2 victory. In the aftermath of the game, Haaland received criticism from teammateBjörn Bergmann Sigurðarson for celebrating his goal towards Viking supporters.[26] Haaland finished his first season at Molde with four goals in 20 appearances.[27]
On 1 July 2018, Haaland scored four goals in the opening 21 minutes againstBrann, securing his team a 4–0 victory over the unbeaten league leaders at the time. After the match, Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær compared Haaland's style of play to Belgian forwardRomelu Lukaku, and said the club had rejected several bids for the striker from different clubs.[28] In the following match a week later, Haaland continued his scoring run with a brace againstVålerenga in a 5–1 win.[29] He scored his first goal inUEFA competition on 26 July, converting a penalty in Molde's 3–0Europa League qualifying victory againstKF Laçi.[30] Due to a sprained ankle, Haaland did not participate in Molde's last three league matches of the season.[31] For his performances in the2018 Eliteserien, Haaland received theEliteserien Breakthrough of the Year award.[32] He finished the2018 season as Molde's top goalscorer, scoring 16 goals in 30 matches across all competitions.[33]
Red Bull Salzburg
Haaland playing for Red Bull Salzburg in 2019
On 19 August 2018,Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg announced that Haaland would join the club on 1 January 2019, signing a five-year contract.[34]The Athletic's Phil Hay would later reveal that prior to his move to Salzburg, Haaland was also subject of an offer from his father's former club Leeds United.[35] He made his debut for the club on 17 February, the2018–19 Austrian Cup quarter-finals againstWiener Neustädter,[36] and scored his first goal on 12 May in the Austrian Bundesliga 2–1 win overLASK.[37]
On 19 July, he scored his firsthat-trick for the club in a 7–1Austrian Cup win againstSC-ESV Parndorf,[38] and followed this up with his first hat-trick in the league on 10 August, scoring three in a 5–2 victory againstWolfsberger AC.[39] He got a third hat-trick for Salzburg on 14 September in a 7–2 victory overTSV Hartberg; this was the sixth consecutive league game Haaland had scored in, with 11 total goals.[40] Three days later, Haaland made his debut in theUEFA Champions League againstGenk, where he scored three goals in the first half of an eventual 6–2 victory, his fourth overall hat-trick for Salzburg,[41] becoming the only player to score a first-half hat-trick on competition debut.[42]
In his next two matches of the Champions League season, Haaland recorded a goal againstLiverpool atAnfield and a further two againstNapoli, becoming only the second teenager afterKarim Benzema in the history of the competition to score in each of his first three appearances. His six goals were also the most scored by any player in their first three Champions League matches.[43] After converting a penalty in Salzburg's reverse fixture against Napoli, Haaland became the first teenager to score in his first four matches in the competition, and only the fourth player of any age to achieve this feat, followingZé Carlos,Alessandro Del Piero andDiego Costa.[44] He then scored all three goals in Salzburg's 3–0 victory at Wolfsberger AC on 10 November, recording his fifth hat-trick of the season and his second against Wolfsberg.[45]
On 27 November, Haaland came off the bench to score another goal against Genk, joining Del Piero,Serhiy Rebrov,Neymar,Cristiano Ronaldo andRobert Lewandowski as the only players to score in the first five matches of a Champions League group stage, and becoming the first teenager to score in five consecutive matches in the competition.[46][47] However, he would fail to find the net in Salzburg's final group match against Liverpool, as his team lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition.[48] This would prove to be Haaland's final game for the club; he departed Salzburg having recorded 29 goals, with 28 of these coming in only 22 appearances made during the2019–20 season.[49]
Borussia Dortmund
2019–20: Debut season
Despite being a reported target ofManchester United andJuventus, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund confirmed the signing of Haaland on 29 December 2019, three days before the winter transfer window opened, for a fee reported to be in the region of €20 million, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.[50][51]
Haaland made his debut for Dortmund away toFC Augsburg on 18 January 2020, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoringa hat-trick within 23 minutes in a 5–3 win.[52] This made him only the second player in Dortmund history afterPierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score three goals on their Bundesliga debut.[53] Six days later, Haaland once again came off the bench, making his second club appearance in Dortmund's match againstFC Köln. He scored after 12 minutes and netted a second goal 10 minutes later, contributing to a 5–1 victory.[54] Haaland became the first Bundesliga player to score five goals in his opening two matches, as well as the fastest player to reach that tally (56 minutes played).[55] Despite being on the pitch in the league for only an hour, he won January'sBundesliga Player of the Month award.[56] Haaland got a brace againstUnion Berlin on 1 February, becoming the first player in history to score seven goals in their first three Bundesliga matches.[57]
On 18 February, Haaland scored both Dortmund goals in their 2–1 first leg victory overParis Saint-Germain in theChampions League round of 16. This brought his total to 10 Champions League goals for the 2019–20 campaign in only his eighth overall appearance in the competition, adding to the eight he had scored for Salzburg in the group stage.[58] Dortmund would lose 2–0 in the return leg on 11 March, however, as Haaland saw elimination from the competition for a second time in the same season.[59] Following the Bundesliga's return on 16 May in the midst of the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic, Haaland scored Dortmund's opener of their 4–0Revierderby win overSchalke 04, his tenth goal of the Bundesliga season.[60] On 20 June, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win againstRB Leipzig to secure second place for Dortmund, which would lead to Champions League football in the following season.[61] Haaland concluded his 2019–20 campaign with 44 goals in 40 club appearances across all competitions played for both Salzburg and Dortmund.[62]
2020–21: UCL top scorer and DFB-Pokal title
Haaland playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020
On 19 September 2020, in Dortmund's first match of the new season, Haaland scored a brace in a 3–0 win overBorussia Mönchengladbach.[63] He scored his team's equaliser in their 2–3Der Klassiker defeat toBayern Munich in theDFL-Supercup on 30 September,[64] and again found the net against Bayern when the sides met in the league on 7 November, with Dortmund losing 2–3 once more.[65] On 21 November, Haaland scored four goals in 32 minutes of a 5–2 away victory againstHertha BSC.[66] These five goals in November saw him crowned theBundesliga Player of the Month for a second time.[67]
Haaland continued his goalscoring feats in theChampions League, scoring six times in the first four matches of the2020–21 group stage, with his brace in a 3–0 win overClub Brugge on 24 November making him the fastest player to record 15 Champions League goals; he had reached this benchmark in 12 matches.[68] Hours before Dortmund's fifth group match againstLazio on 2 December, however, the club announced that Haaland had suffered a hamstring injury, which kept him out of action until after the new year.[69]
Haaland made his return againstVfL Wolfsburg on 3 January 2021.[70] He scored a brace away against RB Leipzig in a 3–1 win on 9 January,[71] and another two in a 4–2 defeat to Mönchengladbach on 22 January.[72] On 17 February, he scored two goals in Dortmund's 3–2 away victory againstSevilla in the first leg of theChampions League round of 16.[73] In Dortmund's reverse league fixture against Bayern at theAllianz Arena on 6 March, Haaland scored twice within the opening 10 minutes to give his team a 2–0 lead. However, he was substituted off in the second half after picking up a knock, as Bayern rallied to win the match 4–2.[74] Haaland's second goal was the 100th of his senior career, reaching this milestone in 146 appearances.[75]
Haaland scored another brace against Sevilla in the second leg on 9 March in a 2–2 draw, advancing to the quarter-finals 5–4 on aggregate.[76] With only 14 matches played, this made him both the fastest and youngest player to reach 20 goals in the competition, also becoming the first player to score multiple times in four consecutive Champions League appearances.[77] After missing two matches due to deep bruising,[78] Haaland returned to Dortmund's starting line-up on 13 May for the2021 DFB-Pokal final; he scored a brace in his team's 4–1 win over Leipzig, securing his first title with the club.[79] He ended the season with 41 goals in all competitions, including 27 in the league, which won him the fan-voted Bundesliga Player of the Season award,[80] and finished the season as the top scorer of the Champions League with 10 goals,[81] later being awarded the competition'sbest forward.[82]
2021–22: Injury struggles and departure
Haaland started off the2021–22 season with a hat-trick versusWehen Wiesbaden in the first round of theDFB-Pokal on 7 August 2021.[83] A week later, on matchday one of theBundesliga, he scored a brace and assisted two goals as Dortmund beatEintracht Frankfurt 5–2.[84] During the first months of the season, Haaland was sidelined with a hamstring injury, returning on 16 October and scoring a brace againstMainz in a 3–1 victory.[85] Shortly after, Haaland suffered a hip flexor injury, which sidelined him for two months.[86] He made his return on 27 November, scoring his 50th Bundesliga goal in a 3–1 victory over Wolfsburg, setting a new record for the fewest appearances and also became the youngest player to score 50 league goals.[87]
On 10 May, Dortmund announced that Haaland would be leaving at the end of the season to sign for Premier League club Manchester City.[88] Four days later, he bid farewell to the club at theWestfalenstadion prior to Dortmund's final match against Hertha BSC, and scored Dortmund's first goal in a 2–1 win.[89]
Manchester City
2022–23: Record-breaking debut season and continental treble
On 10 May 2022, Premier League club Manchester City announced they had reached a deal to sign Haaland after activating his €60 million (£51.2 million)release clause.[90] The deal was formalised on 13 June, with City confirming that Haaland would be joining the club on 1 July on a five-year contract.[91] He made his competitive debut on 30 July, playing 90 minutes of a 3–1 defeat to Liverpool in the2022 FA Community Shield.[92]
On 6 September, Haaland made hisChampions League debut for the club, getting a brace against Sevilla and becoming the first player to score 25 goals in their first 20 Champions League appearances.[98][99] He became the first player to score more than one goal on competition debut for three different clubs.[42] In City's second group stage match a week later against his former club Borussia Dortmund, Haaland scored an acrobatic effort late in the contest to secure his side a 2–1 comeback victory.[100] His winner was subsequently voted Champions League Goal of the Week by fans, and would later go on to be selected as the competition's Goal of the Season by UEFA's Technical Observer panel.[101][102]
On 2 October, Haaland became the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three successive home matches during City's 6–3derby win against Manchester United, additionally earning two assists.[103] He also became the quickest player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks, doing so in eight league matches and surpassing the previous record of 48 set byMichael Owen in 1998, as well as halvingAlan Shearer's record of scoring three hat-tricks in a ten-match spell set during the1994–95 season.[104] Haaland's brace in City's 3–1 away win over Leeds United on 28 December took his tally to 20 goals in 14 league matches, becoming the fastest player in history to reach 20 Premier League goals and beatingSunderland'sKevin Phillips' previous record by seven matches.[105] On 22 January 2023, he scored a fourth hat-trick of the season againstWolverhampton Wanderers, giving him a total of 25 Premier League goals after just 19 matches; this surpassed the top scorers of theprevious season,Mohamed Salah andSon Heung-min, who both scored 23 league goals across the entire campaign.[106]
On 14 March, Haaland scored five goals in a 7–0 round of 16 victory against RB Leipzig, tyingLionel Messi andLuiz Adriano for the most goals scored in a single Champions League match.[107] He also set the new record for fastest time to score five goals in a Champions League match.[108] In doing so, he reached 39 goals across all competitions, breakingTommy Johnson's club record of 38 goals scored in a single season for City set in1928–29.[107] During City'sFA Cup quarter-final match againstBurnley four days later, Haaland scored his sixth hat-trick of the season, passing the 40-goal mark across all competitions.[109]
On 11 April, Haaland scored the third goal of City's 3–0 Champions League win against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, his 45th goal of the season overall. This broke the previous record of 44 goals across all competitions in a season by a Premier League player held by Salah andRuud van Nistelrooy.[110] Haaland registered two assists and a goal in his side's 4–1 home victory against league leadersArsenal on 26 April, closing the gap between them and City in the table to just two points while the latter still had two matches in hand.[111] He would then score his 50th goal of the campaign across all competitions on 30 April againstFulham.[112] His six goals and two assists during April saw him win the league's Player of the Month for a second time.[113]
On 3 May, in City's return fixture against West Ham, Haaland scored his 35th league goal of the campaign, surpassing Shearer andAndy Cole's joint record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season.[4] A week later, he was namedFWA Footballer of the Year.[114] He won by a record margin, earning 82% of the vote ahead of Arsenal'sBukayo Saka andMartin Ødegaard and becoming only the fourth player to claim the award in their debut season.[115][116] He would also go on to be votedPFA Players' Player of the Year by his colleagues in August.[117] Haaland won his first trophy with Manchester City after they clinched the 2022–23 Premier League title on 20 May.[118] By assistingPhil Foden's goal in a draw againstBrighton & Hove Albion on 24 May, he reached 44 combined league goals and assists, thereby equallingThierry Henry's record for most total goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League season.[119] Haaland's debut season in England earned him thePremier League Golden Boot, after finishing as the league's top goalscorer, and theEuropean Golden Shoe, given to the top domestic scorer in Europe.[120] With 36 goals in 35 appearances, he set the new record for highest number of goals scored in a Premier League season.[121]
Haaland played the entirety of City'sFA Cup final victory over Manchester United on 3 June, securing his second title with the club.[122] He then played another 90 minutes in the following week'sChampions League final againstInter Milan. Despite Haaland struggling to have a large impact on the match,[123] City would win 1–0 to earn a maiden Champions League title and achieve only the second-evercontinental treble by an English side.[124] With 12 goals, Haaland finished as the top scorer of the Champions League season for a second time,[125] joining Messi as the only players to accomplish this feat twice before turning 23.[126] Haaland would be subsequently named theUEFA Men's Player of the Year in August, ahead of Messi and Manchester City teammateKevin De Bruyne.[127][128]
2023–24: Second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot
Haaland with Manchester City in 2023
Manchester City began their2023–24 Premier League season on 11 August 2023, with Haaland scoring a brace in a 3–0 away win against newly promoted team Burnley.[129] Just days later, Haaland would win his first trophy of the season following City's victory overEuropa League winnersSevilla in theUEFA Super Cup; although not scoring during the match, he did convert the first penalty in theshoot-out following the end of regulation.[130] On 29 August, Haaland was named thePFA Players' Player of the Year,[131] having earlier been included in thePFA Team of the Year for the Premier League.[132]
With his first three goals of the season, Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 league goals inEurope's top 5 leagues, accomplishing the feat in just 103 appearances, surpassing the previous record of 100 goals in 133 appearances set byRonaldo.[133][134]
After registering a seventh club hat-trick plus an assist against Fulham on 2 September, Haaland became the fastest ever player to achieve 50 Premier League goal involvements (goals plus assists); with just 39 appearances in the competition, he eclipsed Andy Cole's previous record by four matches.[135] On 25 October, Haaland scored his first twoChampions League goals of the season in a 3–1 win atYoung Boys. On 29 October, he recorded two goals and one assist in a 3–0 derby win over Manchester United atOld Trafford.[136] The following day, he was presented with theGerd Müller Trophy at the2023 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, given to the player with the most goals scored for club and country across a single season.[137] On 25 November, Haaland became the fastest player to score 50 Premier League goals in a 1–1 draw with Liverpool; with just 48 appearances, he comfortably beat the previous record of 65 matches by Andy Cole.[138] After suffering abone stress injury in his foot in early December, Haaland would miss nearly two months of action, including City's success at the2023 FIFA Club World Cup, and would not return to the pitch until the end of January 2024.[139]
On 20 February 2024, Haaland scored the sole goal of a home win overBrentford, joiningHarry Kane as the only players to have scored against every Premier League team they had faced.[140] A week later, he netted five goals in a 6–2 victory againstLuton Town in theFA Cup, marking the second time he achieved such a feat for the club and becoming the first player to do so twice.[141] Additionally, he matched his club's record for most goals by an individual in an FA Cup match, a record previously held byFrank Roberts in 1926 andBobby Marshall in 1930. Furthermore, Haaland's accomplishment marked the first instance of a player scoring five goals in the competition sinceGeorge Best in 1970.[142] On 4 May, Haaland scored four goals in a 5–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, his first league hat-trick of the year and third of the season in all competitions.[143]
Haaland scored both goals in City's 2–0 vital win away toTottenham Hotspur on 14 May, bringing his side back to the top of the Premier League table with one match remaining.[144] Five days later, City would successfully defend their title following a 3–1 victory against West Ham.[145] Haaland also secured a second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot, with 27 goals in 31 matches.[146] However, he would be unable to retain the FA Cup, failing to score in City's 2–1final rematch defeat to Manchester United on 25 May.[147]
2024–25: Further goalscoring records
Haaland with Manchester City in 2024
After failing to score in City's opening2024 Community Shield victory overManchester United, but having successfully converted his penalty in the shoot-out, Haaland scored the club's first goal of the league season in a 2–0 victory atChelsea on 18 August 2024, in what was his 100th appearance for City.[148][149] On 25 August, Haaland netted his first hat-trick of the season with the help of a penalty in a 4–1 victory against newly promotedIpswich Town, his seventh Premier League hat-trick.[150] In the following match on 31 August againstWest Ham United, he recorded another hat-trick in a 3–1 away victory, tying Harry Kane as the active player with the most Premier League hat-tricks, with eight. Haaland's hat-trick against theHammers also allowed Manchester City to surpass Liverpool as the club with the most hat-tricks in the Premier League.[151] Haaland's seven goals after three matches broke the record of six set by former City playerEdin Džeko, for the most goals in the first three Premier League matches of a season; he also became the first player to score two hat-tricks in a team's first three league matches sincePaul Jewell ofBradford City in the1994–95 season.[152] On 14 September, Haaland scored another two goals in a 2–1 victory overBrentford, eclipsingWayne Rooney's record tally of eight goals in the first four matches of a Premier League season achieved with Manchester United in the2011–12 season, after only deciding to play the day before following the death of a close family friend.[153] On 22 September, Haaland matchedCristiano Ronaldo's record of reaching 100 goals across all competitions for one club in 105 appearances inEurope's top five leagues, when he scored the opener in a 2–2 draw against Arsenal.[154]
On 17 January 2025, Haaland signed to extend his contract with the club until 2034, while his previous deal was due to expire in 2027.[155][156] The deal is the longest in Premier League history, with Haaland reportedly earning £500,000 per week with this new agreement.[157] Following former club captainKyle Walker's loan departure, Haaland was nominated to take up the captaincy by managerPep Guardiola. He debuted as captain on 15 February, in a 4–0 win overNewcastle United.[158] After scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion on 15 March, Haaland overtook Alan Shearer to become the fastest player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Premier League, doing so in 94 matches.[159] During City'sFA Cup quarter-final match againstBournemouth, Haaland battled for the ball withLewis Cook, and ended up colliding into the electronic advertising boards.[160] This resulted in him injuring his ankle and missing a number of matches, making his return on 10 May in a goalless draw against already relegatedSouthampton.[161] On 17 May, in theFA Cup final againstCrystal Place, Haaland turned down the opportunity to take a penalty, instead handing the ball toOmar Marmoush, whose effort was saved byDean Henderson. At the time, City were losing 1–0, and Palace would see the game out in the second half to win the first ever trophy in their history.[162] Haaland finished the Premier League season with 22 goals, behind Mohamed Salah andAlexander Isak, scoring on the final day in a 2–0 win overFulham.[163]
On 26 June, Haaland scored his 300th career goal in a 5–2 win overJuventus in aFIFA Club World Cup group stage match, becoming, at the age of 24 years and 340 days, the second-youngest player in the 21st century to reach the landmark, only behindKylian Mbappé.[164][165] In the following match on 30 June, he scored again in a 4–3 loss toAl Hilal in the round of 16, matchingLionel Messi's record for most goals in official international club competitions before the age of 25 (both at 56).[166]
2025–26: Fourth season for City
On 16 August 2025, Haaland scored a brace in City's first match of the2025–26 Premier League, helping his team to a 4–0 away victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[167] On 31 August, Haaland scored against Brighton & Hove Albion, and became the player with the most goals (88) in his first 100 matches in the Premier League, surpassing Alan Shearer's record of 79 goals.[168] On 14 September, he scored a brace in City's 3–0 home win in the Manchester derby.[169] Four days later, he scored the first goal in City's opening match in the2025–26 UEFA Champions League, a 2–0 home victory againstNapoli, becoming the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the competition, having done so in only 49 matches.[170][171][172]
International career
2015–2018: Youth level
Haaland plays for Norway, and has represented them at various age groups. On 27 March 2018, while with theNorway under-19 side,[173] Haaland scored a hat-trick againstScotland in a 5–4 victory, helping his country secure qualification to the2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[174] On 22 July 2018, Haaland scored a penalty againstItaly in a 1–1 draw during the tournament finals.[175] On 30 May 2019, Haaland scored nine goals in theNorway under-20 team's 12–0 win againstHonduras at the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup inLublin, Poland.[176][177] This was Norway's biggest ever win at U-20 level, as well as Honduras' heaviest ever defeat. Haaland also set a new U-20 World Cup record for most goals scored by a single player in a match, with the result additionally being the biggest win by any team in the history of the tournament.[178] Despite the Norwegians being eliminated in the group stage, and Haaland not scoring in any other matches at the tournament, he still won theGolden Boot as the competition's top scorer.[179]
2019–2021: Senior debut and first major tournament
Born in Leeds, Haaland was eligible to play forEngland, but only wished to play for Norway according to coachGareth Southgate.[180]
On 11 October, Haaland scored his first international hat-trick in Norway's 4–0 victory overRomania in a Nations League B match, bringing his tally for the senior team to six goals in six matches played.[184]
2021–2024: Consecutive Nations League top scorer and all-time Norway top scorer
Haaland (right) celebrating a goal withNorway in 2025
During the September 2021 international break, Haaland scored five goals in threeWorld Cup qualification matches, including a second hat-trick for Norway in a 5–1 victory againstGibraltar.[185] With six goals inLeague B between June and September 2022, he finished as the joint-top scorer of the2022–23 UEFA Nations League.[186]
Haaland's brace in aEuro 2024 qualifier againstCyprus on 12 October 2023 brought his international tally to 27 goals in 27 appearances, surpassingEinar Gundersen as Norway's second-highest all-time top scorer.[187] On 5 June 2024, Haaland scored a third hat-trick for his country in a 3–0friendly win againstKosovo, bringing him within three goals of Norwegian top scorerJørgen Juve.[188]
On 10 October 2024, Haaland scored a brace in a 3–0Nations League win overSlovenia, reaching 34 international goals to become Norway'sall-time top scorer at the age of just 24, and overtaking Juve's record that had stood since 1937.[189] On 17 November, he recorded a fourth international hat-trick in a 5–0 win againstKazakhstan, helping Norway clinch promotion toLeague A of the Nations League for the first time.[190]
2025–present: First World Cup
On 6 June 2025, Haaland scored Norway's final goal in their 3–0World Cup qualifying win againstItaly, securing the nation's first victory over the Italians in 25 years.[191] On 9 September, he scored five goals and assisted a further two in an 11–1 win overMoldova, becoming the first male European player to record five goals in a World Cup qualifier sinceHans Krankl in 1977.[192] A month later, on 11 October, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win overIsrael, becoming the fastest player to reach50 international goals, breakingHarry Kane's record by achieving the milestone in just 46 matches compared to Kane's 71.[193] On 16 November, he scored twice in a 4–1 away win over Italy, securing his nation's place at the2026 FIFA World Cup with eight victories, marking their first World Cup appearance since1998.[194] Haaland finished the World Cup qualifying campaign with 16 goals, scoring in all eight of Norway's matches, and equallingRobert Lewandowski's record tally from the qualifiers for2018.[195] He also matchedAbdul Ghani Minhat's feat of scoring in 11 consecutive international appearances, achieved back in 1962.[196]
Player profile
Style of play
A prolific goalscorer and widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, Haaland has all the attributes of a completecentre forward.[197][198][199] He uses his sizeable frame to hold play up effectively and involve others. He has the pace and clever movement to run in behind, he can dribble and create, and he can finish with both feet and his head. He usually comes deep to collect the ball to help his team build play, often looking to spread the ball wide for a teammate, before turning and sprinting towards goal. He sometimes comes too deep for the defenders to follow him; as such he has the awareness to turn on the ball and create from a forward-facing position. In thepenalty area he makes small, sharp movements to spot an opportunity for a teammate to attempt to find him in space, and can change the line on which he is running and accelerate into that space, making him extremely difficult for defenders to read.[200][201]
Haaland uses his body well when playing with his back to goal, protecting the ball effectively as he tries to bring it under control. He uses his strength to secure possession when under pressure and is also effective in providing his team's defenders with some respite following a clearance. His creativity is most apparent when he drifts into the left inside channel. His primary aim is always to get a shot off, but he also has the vision and skill to pick out a delayed run from midfield in the centre. His ability to carry the ball at pace also helps create for others, especially on the counter-attack.[202][203] Even though he is less involved in possession than a typical striker, his calmness, patience, timing, and off-the-ball movement have a huge impact in build-up plays.[204]
After scoring a goal, Haaland is known to perform a "meditation" celebration, in which he assumes thelotus position;[208][209][210] the celebration has been featured in theFIFA series of video games.[208]
Reception
After his record breaking first season in England,Gary Neville proclaimed that Haaland is "truly unique" and that he has the skill and strength ofWayne Rooney and the talent and finishing of Harry Kane andRonaldo.[211] His manager at City,Pep Guardiola, opined that Haaland has the potential to get even better.[212] In 2022,Jürgen Klopp labelled Haaland as the "best striker in the world" and stated that "physically he sets new standards, the combination of being really physical and technical and sensational awareness, his orientation on the pitch is exceptional, he knows always where the decisive gaps are, barely offside".[213] In 2024,FIFPRO declared him to be "the deadliest striker in football today".[214]
Personal life
Haaland is the son of the Norwegian former footballerAlfie Haaland and former women'sheptathlon athlete Gry Marita Braut.[215] In a 2017 interview with Norwegian newspaperAftenposten, Haaland said that "The dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds".[216] His cousinsJonatan Braut Brunes and Albert Tjåland are also professional footballers.[217][218]
In October 2024, Haaland announced via social media that he was expecting a first child with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen.[222] His child was born in December.[223]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 22 November 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^"Derfor byttet han fra Håland til Haaland" [The reason he changed from Håland to Haaland].Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 19 September 2019.Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved19 December 2019.
^Fotballforbund, Norges."Jonatan Braut Brunes – Profil".fotball.no – Norges Fotballforbund (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved20 August 2021.
^abcde"Erling Braut Haaland: Statistikk" [Erling Braut Haaland: Statistics] (in Norwegian). Norwegian Football Federation.Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved15 September 2024.
^For Eliteserien and Norwegian Football Cup:"Erling Braut Haaland: Statistikk" [Erling Braut Haaland: Statistics] (in Norwegian). Norwegian Football Federation.Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved15 September 2024. For UEFA Europa League:"E. Haaland: Summary".Soccerway. Perform Group.Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved15 September 2024.
^"G16: Historisk finaleseier" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Football Association. 3 September 2016.Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved8 March 2020.
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