Erling Haaland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Erling Haaland

Haaland with Norway in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Erling Braut Haaland
Birth name	Erling Braut Håland
Date of birth	(2000-07-21) 21 July 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth	Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Manchester City
Number	9
Youth career
2005–2016	Bryne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	Bryne 2	14	(18)
2016–2017	Bryne	16	(0)
2017	Molde 2	4	(2)
2017–2019	Molde	39	(14)
2019–2020	Red Bull Salzburg	16	(17)
2020–2022	Borussia Dortmund	67	(62)
2022–	Manchester City	97	(85)
International career‡
2015	Norway U15	4	(4)
2016	Norway U16	17	(1)
2017	Norway U17	5	(2)
2017	Norway U18	6	(6)
2018	Norway U19	6	(6)
2019	Norway U20	5	(11)
2018	Norway U21	3	(0)
2019–	Norway	43	(42)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:45, 6 June 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:40, 9 June 2025 (UTC)

Erling Braut Haaland (born 21 July 2000) is a professional footballer from Norway. He plays as a striker for the English club Manchester City and the Norway national team. Many people think he is one of the best players in the world. He is famous for his amazing speed, strength, smart positioning, and powerful shots near the goal. In his first season in the Premier League (2022–23), Haaland broke the record for the most goals scored by a player in one season, with 36 goals!

Haaland started his career in Norway with clubs like Bryne and Molde. Then, in 2019, he moved to Austria to play for Red Bull Salzburg. His great performances there led him to join the German club Borussia Dortmund. With Dortmund, he won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 2021. In the summer of 2022, he moved to Manchester City. He helped the club win a special "treble" in his first season, meaning they won three major trophies: the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. He scored 52 goals that season, which was a record for a Premier League player. Haaland was named both the Young Player and Player of the Season, being the first to win both in the same year.

Throughout his career, Haaland has won many individual awards and broken several records. These include the Golden Boy award in 2020 and being named Bundesliga Player of the Season in 2021. He has also been part of the FIFA FIFPro World11 (a team of the best players in the world) multiple times. In the Premier League, he holds records for most goals in a season and the fastest player to score two, three, four, and five hat-tricks. In 2023, he won the Premier League Golden Boot (for top scorer in England), the European Golden Shoe (for top scorer in Europe), and the Gerd Müller Trophy (for top goalscorer). That same year, he was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year and finished second in the Ballon d'Or award.

Haaland has played for Norway at different youth levels. In the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he won the Golden Boot award after scoring a record nine goals in a single match! He made his debut for the senior national team in September 2019. He is now Norway's all-time top goalscorer.

Early Life and Childhood

Erling Braut Håland was born on 21 July 2000 in Leeds, England. His father, Alfie Haaland, was playing for Leeds United in the Premier League at that time. In 2004, when Erling was three years old, his family moved back to Bryne, their hometown in Norway.

Besides playing football from a young age, Haaland also tried other sports as a child. These included handball, golf, and track and field. It is even said that when he was five, he set a world record for his age group in the standing long jump. He jumped 1.63 meters in 2006!

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Bryne

Haaland began his football journey at the age of five in the youth academy of his hometown club, Bryne.

Between 2015 and 2016, Haaland played for Bryne 2, which is Bryne's reserve team. He scored an impressive 18 goals in just 14 matches. He made his first senior appearance for Bryne FK on 12 May 2016, just before his 16th birthday. He played as a winger at first, but his coach soon moved him to his preferred position as a striker. Haaland played 16 senior games for Bryne before moving to Molde.

Moving to Molde

Haaland playing for Molde in 2018

On 1 February 2017, Haaland joined Molde when he was 16. He scored in his very first game for the club in a Norwegian Cup match. His first league goal came on 6 August 2017. He finished his first season with four goals in 20 games.

On 1 July 2018, Haaland scored four goals in just 21 minutes against Brann, helping his team win 4–0. His manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, compared him to the famous striker Romelu Lukaku. Haaland also scored his first goal in a UEFA competition that year. He ended the 2018 season as Molde's top scorer, with 16 goals in 30 matches. He also won the "Eliteserien Breakthrough of the Year" award.

Success at Red Bull Salzburg

Haaland playing for Red Bull Salzburg in 2019

Haaland joined Red Bull Salzburg in Austria on 1 January 2019. He quickly started scoring goals, including his first hat-trick for the club in July 2019. He scored another hat-trick in the league in August.

On 17 September 2019, Haaland made his debut in the UEFA Champions League. He scored three goals in the first half of a 6–2 win against Genk. This made him the only player to score a first-half hat-trick in their Champions League debut. He continued to score in his next Champions League matches against Liverpool and Napoli. He became only the second teenager to score in his first three Champions League games. He was also the first teenager to score in five straight Champions League matches. Haaland left Salzburg having scored 29 goals in total, with 28 of those coming in just 22 games during the 2019–20 season.

Joining Borussia Dortmund

2019–20: Instant Impact

On 29 December 2019, Haaland signed with German club Borussia Dortmund. He made his debut on 18 January 2020, coming on as a substitute and scoring a hat-trick in just 23 minutes! This helped Dortmund win 5–3. He became only the second player in Dortmund's history to score three goals on their Bundesliga debut. He also became the first Bundesliga player to score five goals in his first two matches, doing so in only 56 minutes of play. He even won the "Bundesliga Player of the Month" award for January, despite playing for only an hour.

On 18 February, Haaland scored both goals for Dortmund in their 2–1 win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. This brought his total to 10 Champions League goals for the season in just eight games. He finished his 2019–20 season with 44 goals in 40 club games for both Salzburg and Dortmund.

2020–21: Top Scorer in Champions League

Haaland playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020

Haaland started the 2020–21 season strong, scoring two goals in Dortmund's first match. He continued his amazing goal-scoring in the Champions League. He scored six goals in the first four group matches. His two goals against Club Brugge made him the fastest player to reach 15 Champions League goals, doing it in just 12 matches.

On 17 February, he scored two goals in Dortmund's 3–2 win against Sevilla in the Champions League. In the second game against Sevilla, he scored another two goals, making him the fastest and youngest player to reach 20 goals in the competition. He also became the first player to score multiple goals in four Champions League games in a row. On 13 May, Haaland scored two goals in the DFB-Pokal final against RB Leipzig, helping Dortmund win his first trophy with the club. He ended the season with 41 goals in all competitions and was the top scorer in the Champions League with 10 goals. He was also voted the Bundesliga Player of the Season.

2021–22: Injuries and Departure

Haaland started the 2021–22 season with a hat-trick in the German Cup. A week later, he scored two goals and assisted two others in the first Bundesliga match. However, he faced some injuries during this season, including a hamstring injury and a hip injury. Despite this, on 27 November, he scored his 50th Bundesliga goal, setting a new record for the fewest games played to reach that number. He also became the youngest player to score 50 league goals.

On 10 May 2022, Dortmund announced that Haaland would be leaving the club at the end of the season to join Manchester City. He said goodbye to the fans on 14 May and scored a goal in his final match for Dortmund.

Joining Manchester City

2022–23: Amazing First Season and Treble Win

Haaland (centre) playing for Manchester City against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022

On 10 May 2022, Manchester City announced they would sign Haaland. The deal was finalized on 13 June, and he officially joined the club on 1 July. He made his first competitive appearance on 30 July in a match against Liverpool.

Haaland scored two goals in his Premier League debut against West Ham United on 7 August 2022. On 27 August, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick against Crystal Palace. Just four days later, he scored his second hat-trick against Nottingham Forest. This made him the fastest player in Premier League history to score two hat-tricks. He was named "Premier League Player of the Month" for August.

On 6 September, Haaland made his Champions League debut for City, scoring two goals against Sevilla. He became the first player to score 25 goals in his first 20 Champions League appearances. On 2 October, Haaland became the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three home matches in a row during City's 6–3 win against Manchester United. He also became the quickest player to score three hat-tricks in the Premier League, doing it in just eight games.

On 14 March 2023, Haaland scored five goals in a 7–0 Champions League win against RB Leipzig. This tied the record for most goals scored in a single Champions League match. He also broke the club record for most goals in a single season for Manchester City, with 39 goals. On 11 April, he scored his 45th goal of the season, breaking the record for most goals by a Premier League player in all competitions. On 3 May, Haaland scored his 35th league goal of the season, breaking the record for most goals in a single Premier League season. A week later, he won the FWA Footballer of the Year award. He also won the Premier League Golden Boot with 36 goals in 35 games, setting a new record.

Haaland won his first trophy with Manchester City when they won the Premier League title on 20 May. He then helped City win the FA Cup final on 3 June. A week later, he played in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. City won 1–0, completing a historic "continental treble" (winning the league, FA Cup, and Champions League). Haaland finished as the top scorer in the Champions League for the second time with 12 goals. He was later named the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.

2023–24: Another Golden Boot

Haaland with Manchester City in 2023

Manchester City started their 2023–24 Premier League season on 11 August 2023, with Haaland scoring two goals. A few days later, he won his first trophy of the season as City beat Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. On 29 August, Haaland was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

With his first three goals of the season, Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 league goals in Europe's top 5 leagues, doing it in just 103 games. On 2 September, he scored another hat-trick and assisted a goal against Fulham. This made him the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goal contributions (goals plus assists) in just 39 games. On 29 October, he scored two goals and assisted one in a 3–0 win against Manchester United. The next day, he received the Gerd Müller Trophy for being the top goalscorer for club and country. On 25 November, Haaland became the fastest player to score 50 Premier League goals, reaching this in just 48 games. He missed almost two months due to a foot injury but returned in January 2024.

On 20 February 2024, Haaland scored against Brentford, meaning he had scored against every Premier League team he had faced. A week later, he scored five goals in an FA Cup match against Luton Town, becoming the first player to score five goals twice for the club. On 4 May, he scored four goals in a 5–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Haaland scored two goals in City's 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 May, which put his team back at the top of the Premier League table. Five days later, City won the Premier League title again. Haaland also won his second straight Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals. However, City lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United on 25 May.

2024–25: More Records Broken

Haaland with Manchester City in 2024

After winning the Community Shield in July 2024, Haaland scored City's first league goal of the season on 18 August 2024, in his 100th game for the club. On 25 August, he scored his first hat-trick of the season against Ipswich Town. In the next match on 31 August against West Ham United, he scored another hat-trick, tying Harry Kane for the most Premier League hat-tricks among active players (eight). Haaland's seven goals after three matches broke the record for most goals in the first three Premier League games of a season. On 14 September, he scored two more goals, breaking Wayne Rooney's record for most goals in the first four Premier League matches of a season. On 22 September, Haaland reached 100 goals across all competitions for one club in Europe's top five leagues in just 105 games, matching Cristiano Ronaldo's record.

On 17 January 2025, Haaland signed a new contract with Manchester City until 2034, making it the longest contract in Premier League history. He also became a team captain. On 15 March, Haaland scored against Brighton & Hove Albion, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goal contributions (goals plus assists) in the Premier League, doing so in 94 matches. He suffered an ankle injury in an FA Cup match in March but returned in May. City lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace on 17 May. Haaland finished the Premier League season with 22 goals.

On 26 June 2025, Haaland scored his 300th career goal in a FIFA Club World Cup match against Juventus. At 24 years and 340 days old, he became the second-youngest player in the 21st century to reach this milestone. In the next match on 30 June, he scored again, matching Lionel Messi's record for most goals in official international club competitions before the age of 25 (both with 56 goals).

Playing for Norway

Youth Teams (2015–2018)

Haaland has played for Norway at many different age levels. On 27 March 2018, he scored a hat-trick for the Norway under-19 team against Scotland, helping them qualify for a major tournament. On 30 May 2019, Haaland scored an incredible nine goals in the Norway under-20 team's 12–0 win against Honduras at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. This was Norway's biggest ever win at that level and a new U-20 World Cup record for most goals by one player in a match. Even though Norway was knocked out early, Haaland still won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

Senior Team Debut (2019–2021)

Haaland was eligible to play for England because he was born in Leeds, but he always wanted to play for Norway. He made his debut for the Norway senior team on 5 September 2019. On 4 September 2020, he scored his first senior international goal for Norway. Three days later, he scored two goals against Northern Ireland.

On 11 October 2020, Haaland scored his first international hat-trick for Norway in a 4–0 win against Romania. This brought his total for the senior team to six goals in six matches.

Top Scorer for Norway (2021–Present)

Haaland (right) celebrating a goal with Norway in 2025

In September 2021, Haaland scored five goals in three World Cup qualification matches, including his second hat-trick for Norway against Gibraltar. He was also the joint-top scorer in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League.

On 12 October 2023, Haaland scored two goals against Cyprus, bringing his international total to 27 goals in 27 games. This made him Norway's second-highest all-time top scorer. On 5 June 2024, he scored his third hat-trick for his country in a friendly match against Kosovo.

On 10 October 2024, Haaland scored two goals against Slovenia, reaching 34 international goals. This made him Norway's all-time top scorer at just 24 years old, breaking a record that had stood since 1937! On 17 November, he scored his fourth international hat-trick against Kazakhstan, helping Norway get promoted to the top division of the Nations League for the first time.

How Erling Haaland Plays

Haaland is known as a very strong and effective goalscorer. He is considered one of the best players in the world. He has all the skills of a complete centre forward. He uses his large size to hold the ball and help his teammates. He is very fast and makes smart runs to get behind defenders. He can dribble, create chances, and score with both feet and his head.

He often drops back to get the ball and help his team build up play. He then quickly sprints towards the goal. In the penalty area, he makes small, quick movements to find open space, making it very hard for defenders to mark him.

Haaland is also good at protecting the ball when defenders are close. His ability to run with the ball quickly helps create chances for others, especially during counter-attacks. Even though he doesn't touch the ball as much as some other strikers, his calm attitude, patience, and smart movement without the ball make a huge difference in how his team attacks.

Haaland looks up to famous players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo. He also finds inspiration in players like Michu, Jamie Vardy, Sergio Agüero, and Robin van Persie. He has said that Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos are two of the toughest defenders he has played against.

After scoring a goal, Haaland often does a "meditation" celebration, where he sits in the lotus position. This celebration has even been included in the FIFA video games.

Many football experts have praised Haaland. Gary Neville called him "truly unique" and said he has the skill of Wayne Rooney and the finishing ability of Harry Kane and Ronaldo. His manager, Pep Guardiola, believes Haaland can get even better. In 2022, Jürgen Klopp called Haaland the "best striker in the world" because of his amazing physical and technical skills. In 2024, FIFPRO (the global players' union) called him "the deadliest striker in football today."

Personal Life

Erling Haaland's father, Alfie Haaland, was also a professional footballer. His mother, Gry Marita Braut, was a heptathlon athlete. In 2017, Haaland said that his dream was to win the Premier League with Leeds, his birth city. His cousins, Jonatan Braut Brunes and Albert Tjåland, are also professional footballers.

Haaland practices meditation.

In 2016, Haaland and his Norway under-17 teammates, Erik Botheim and Erik Tobias Sandberg, formed a music group called Flow Kingz. They released a song called "Kygo jo," which has been viewed over 12 million times on YouTube.

In October 2024, Haaland announced that he and his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, were expecting their first child. Their child was born in December 2024.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Awards and Trophies

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2018–19
• Austrian Cup: 2018–19

Borussia Dortmund

• DFB-Pokal: 2020–21

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2022–23, 2023–24
• FA Cup: 2022–23
• FA Community Shield: 2024
• UEFA Champions League: 2022–23
• UEFA Super Cup: 2023
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2023

Norway U17

• Syrenka Cup: 2016

Individual Awards

• FIFA Men's World 11: 2024
• European Golden Shoe: 2022–23
• Eliteserien Breakthrough of the Year: 2018
• Austrian Footballer of the Year: 2019
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot: 2019
• UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2019
• Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2020–21
• Bundesliga Player of the Month: January 2020, November 2020, April 2021, August 2021
• Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: January 2020, February 2020
• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2020–21, 2021–22
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2022–23
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2022–23
• Premier League Young Player of the Season: 2022–23
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2022–23, 2023–24
• Premier League Player of the Month: August 2022, April 2023, August 2024
• Golden Boy: 2020
• Gullballen: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year: 2020
• UEFA Champions League Squad/Team of the Season: 2020–21, 2022–23
• UEFA Champions League Forward of the Season: 2020–21
• UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2020–21, 2022–23
• UEFA Men's Player of the Year: 2022–23
• UEFA Nations League top scorer: 2020–21, 2022–23
• FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2022, 2023
• Manchester City Player of the Season: 2022–23
• PFA Team of the Year: 2022–23 Premier League, 2023–24 Premier League
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2022–23
• Gerd Müller Trophy: 2023
• Globe Soccer Best Player of the Year: 2023
• The Guardian Best Footballer in the World: 2023
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 2023
• FourFourTwo Player of the Year: 2022, 2023
• BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year: 2023
• IFFHS World's Best Player: 2023
• Onze d'Or: 2022–23

See also

In Spanish: Erling Haaland para niños