Why the internet is obsessed with football star Erling Haaland

Football player Erling Braut Haaland has become one of the biggest stars of this year’s World Cup. 

Football fans know him as an absolute machine on the field; staggering goal-scoring records, a towering 195cm striker who brushes off defenders with ease, his long blonde hair and imposing physique earning him comparisons to a Viking. Throw in his famous 6,000-calorie diet and record-breaking exploits for Manchester City F.C. and the Norway national football team, and it’s easy to see why he’s become one of football’s most feared forwards.

But off the pitch, it’s a different story. He’s a rare luxury bag enthusiast. He’s also the footballer who accidentally left Tom Holland on read after being invited to dinner during a Formula 1 weekend in Monaco because he simply didn’t know who the actor was. And among Chinese fans, he’s affectionately known as “Ha Bao”, which translates to “Ha Baby”.

The 25-year-old, who runs his own social media accounts, has had even non-World Cup and football fans in a chokehold. Haaland’s humour and unfiltered personality have made him one of the internet’s most entertaining sports stars.

Fresh off Norway’s 2-1 upset of five-time World Cup champions Brazil on July 5, courtesy of Haaland’s two-goal masterclass, the football star’s profile has only continued to soar.

Here’s why Haaland has become the internet’s latest obsession and one of football’s most compelling personalities.

He’s 195cm, and is a “Nordic Viking”

His long flowy blonde hair, his famous daily 6,000 calorie diets, his 195cm build with fearsome performances on the field. It makes sense why fans often call Haaling a “Nordic Viking”, especially given his Norwegian roots. 

He even sometimes chops down wood in the forest for exercise, and is a big fan of eating cow hearts—so much so that he reportedly has his own supplier. Talk about a medieval warrior. 

And Haaling has leaned into this identity as well. He’s also more than happy to lean into the persona. After Norway’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the World Cup on July 1, in which Haaland restored his side’s lead in the 86th minute, the squad celebrated with fans in a Viking Row chant; they sat in a Viking longboat formation, rowing their arms to the beat of a drum. Haaland later completed the moment by pulling on a Viking helmet during the celebrations.

After their win against Brazil, fans in Singapore even joined the Viking row at a watch party at The Lawn in Chijmes.

And soon, he’ll be playing one on screen too. The Manchester City F.C. striker is set to make his voice-acting debut in the animated film Viqueens, directed by Harald Zwart, where he’ll voice a Viking character aptly named Haaland.

He’s only 25—and already Norway’s all-time top scorer by a longshot

Whether it’s clips soaring above defenders to bury a header, or casually shrugging opponents off with his immense strength, there’s no denying Haaland is one to be feared on the pitch. 

It’s little wonder, then, that at just 25 years old, he’s already Norway’s all-time leading goalscorer—and by a considerable margin. Haaland has scored 62 goals in just 54 international appearances, well ahead of Norway legend Jørgen Juve, who finished his career with 33 goals in 45 matches and was Norway’s all-time record goalscorer for over 90 years.

The best part? Even Haaland struggles to explain how he does it. During an iconic press conference for the World Cup, he said: “I don’t know, I think it’s my speciality to score goals. I’m just really good at scoring goals. I’m quite lucky. I don’t know what I’m doing but… that’s just how it is!” 

This mix of world-class talent and complete lack of pretension is precisely why fans can’t get enough of him.

Yes, he collects rare handbags—and is a Birkin boy

And before you write the Viking off as being all sport and no style, think again. The footballer might just be a fashion icon too: Haaland has an impressive collection of luxury handbags, including multiple rare Birkin and HAC (Haut à Courroies) models. Here are just some of the pieces he’s been photographed carrying.

Hermès HAC 40 Rock

Hermès Toile HAC Birkin 40

Hermès HAC Birkin 50 “Endless Road”

Hermès Multipockets Birkin Hac 50 Ecorce Togo Palladium Hardware

Chanel 2024/25 Métiers d’art Suitcase

Louis Vuitton Keepall 50B Landscape Travel Bag 

His snapchat and Instagram stories are delightfully unhinged

There’s something so refreshing and entertaining about football megastars—who are often portrayed as untouchable and picture-perfect—not being afraid to show a little personality. For Haaland, his self-run social media accounts, which have frequently become the talk of the internet, showcase that better than anything else.

Whether he’s posting with goofy Shrek or face-morphing Snapchat filters, or sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of his travels and matches on Instagram Stories, you’ll quickly realise that he’s surprisingly relatable, comical and doesn’t take himself too seriously. 

China netizens have even made him a virtual boyfriend

Haaland has even stolen the hearts of Chinese fans. Memes and edits of his exaggerated facial expressions on the pitch have also flooded Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Weibo.

Perhaps it’s the contrast between his fearsome persona on the pitch and his goofy personality off it that has won him such a devoted Chinese following. They have even coined affectionate nicknames for him, including “Ha Bao”—or “Ha Baby”—for his endearing off-field antics, and “Nordic Cyborg”, a nod to his machine-like ferocity on the pitch.

Leaning into the enthusiasm, Haaland now has his own Weibo account, where he interacts with Chinese fans, shares updates and occasionally debunks rumours. In one post, he jokingly admitted to being a “robot” at times and said he loved the nicknames fans had given him.

The football star has also become the global brand ambassador for WALOVI, the international brand of Chinese herbal drink Wang Lao Ji. In a campaign released ahead of the World Cup, Haaland fully embraced the online jokes—breathing fire, speaking Mandarin as he promoted the tea. 

Chinese netizens have even edited the Viking striker into a male lead in Love and Deep Space, free-to-play, virtual boyfriend game. 

He wants to be farmer after he retires from football

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For Haaland, unlike other sports megastars, life after football looks less like punditry and more like life on a farm.

“I think I like to do a lot of things to, you know, turn off the ‘football head’,” Haaland said in an interview with ESPN in 2022. “And one of those things is, for example, being on a farm or driving a tractor or feeding the cows or whatever, you know?”

He’s even pictured his retirement plan in detail. “I think it will have a small farm after I retire in Bryne. I don’t know where but I’m quite sure I would have some animals.”

In his Youtube Video titled “Day in a life of a pro-footballer: Erling Haaland”, he took viewers along one of his trips to a local farm, Greenoaks Farm in Cheshire, where he purchased raw milk, beef and honey. He also shared that raw milk was a “superfood” that benefits his stomach, skin, bones, and muscles. 

It’s one of his many wonderfully unexpected traits that explain why the internet can’t seem to look away.

He’s also a devoted family man

Off the pitch, Haaland’s love life is just as wholesome. The football star and his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, have been together since 2021, but their story began back when they both grew up in the Norwegian town of Bryne and even played for the same youth academy, Bryne FK.

Their relationship blossomed after Johansen slid into Haaland’s DMs while he was playing for Borussia Dortmund. In late 2024, the couple also welcomed their first child, a son. 

These days, one of the couple’s favourite ways to unwind is surprisingly low-key: sharing a home-cooked meal before settling in for a game of Minecraft together.

Johansen is also a regular presence in the stands, frequently cheering Haaland on at his matches and sharing her support for him on Instagram.