Who is Erling Haaland? Origin, height, and history of Manchester City's Viking android

Erling Braut Haaland, born in Leeds, England, on July 21, 2000, is a Norwegian striker for Manchester City. While his professional career has been marked by prolific scoring, his global profile surged during the 2026 World Cup, where he became the linchpin of Norway's national team.

Known as the "Viking android," Haaland is lauded not only for his goal-scoring ability but also for his exceptional speed, strength, and athletic movements on and off the ball. These attributes have cemented his status as one of the premier forwards in contemporary football and a leading young talent worldwide. His accolades include the 2020 Golden Boy award, recognizing him as the best player under 21.

Despite his English birthplace, with his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, playing for Leeds United, Erling moved to his mother's hometown of Bryne, Norway, at age three. There, he engaged in various sports, including handball, golf, and athletics. According to The Mirror, he even set a world record in his age group for the long jump at five years old, with a mark of 1.63 meters.

Haaland's football journey began at Bryne FK's academy at age six, where he immediately impressed. His former youth coach, Alf Ingve Bernsten, recalled, "His first touches resulted in goals. He was very good from the start and, although he hadn't played for the club before, he was much better than the others." He made his first-team debut for Bryne at 15 before moving to Molde, a transfer facilitated by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who likened Haaland's style to Romelu Lukaku's after Haaland finished as the team's top scorer with 16 goals in his debut season.

His career trajectory continued upward with a move to Red Bull Salzburg in Austria in August 2018. There, he became the first teenager in UEFA Champions League history to score in each of his first five appearances. A year later, he joined Borussia Dortmund in Germany, where he became the first Bundesliga player to score five goals in his first two matches and the fastest to reach that milestone. He also became the first Norwegian to win the Golden Boy award.

“

His first touches resulted in goals. He was very good from the start and, although he hadn't played for the club before, he was much better than the others.