When England manager Gareth Southgate was asked in 2020 if there was ever a chance of Haaland playing for the Three Lions, he shut it down fairly quickly.
“With players like him, they are pretty clear about where they want to play,” Southgate said. “He feels that loyalty to the country he plays for now and you’re always very respectful of that.”
Haaland was born in Leeds, where his father, Alf-Inge, who had just left Leeds United for Manchester City, still resided in 2000.
The family moved to Bryne in Norway three years later, following Alf-Inge’s retirement due to injury, which ended his time at City.
Young Haaland’s talent was spotted early and he quickly came through Bryne’s youth teams before being signed by Molde in 2017, joining a club then managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Solskjaer helped shape Haaland into the attacking force he is today and has often spoken highly of his former player, regretting not being able to bring him to Old Trafford when he became Manchester United manager.
The young forward began to attract attention during his time at Red Bull Salzburg before his spell at Borussia Dortmund really announced him on the world stage.
Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City occurred in 2022, something many considered inevitable due to his father’s history with the club and his own love of English football.
Amid all the turmoil, drama and success in her life, Haaland has felt the pull of home and frequently returns to her native country, where she owns several properties.
“Despite Haaland’s global superstar status, he’s still exactly the same guy,” Norwegian football journalist Andreas Korssund told BBC Sport.
“He knows exactly where he comes from and regularly visits his small hometown in Rogaland. He is incredibly proud of his roots and is always at the disposal of the Norwegian press when representing his country.”
Haaland has spoken of his desire to run a farm in his home country when he retires and can often be seen walking around Oslo, where he has an apartment.
He has become familiar with Norway’s Viking history and is tremendously proud to represent his country.
It’s that affinity with his heritage that has also led him to sport his full Braut Haaland title on the back of his national jersey: Braut is his mother’s maiden name and combining it with his father’s name is a common tradition in Norway.
“Haaland is everything to Norway,” says Korssund.
“He has become an unprecedented superstar in the world’s biggest sport. For a nation of just over 5.5 million people, producing one of the best footballers on the planet is immense.”
