Erling Haaland: Stats and facts about the superstar striker
Erling Haaland: Stats and facts about the superstar striker: It’s no exaggeration to say that Erling Haaland has completely transformed Manchester City’s attack since his arrival.
During his debut Premier League campaign, the Norwegian striker smashed in 36 goals across 35 matches. This season, he has continued that lethal form, already netting 17 goals in 21 appearances. In City’s latest outing against Luton, Haaland delivered a stunning performance, scoring five goals in just 58 minutes.
He has also made history by becoming the first player to score hat-tricks in three consecutive games and has already matched the total number of Premier League hat-tricks recorded by Cristiano Ronaldo and Jamie Vardy.
Haaland arrived at the Etihad from German side Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth €60m (£51.2m) and played a crucial role in helping City secure a famous treble last season.
Still early in his career, Haaland is widely seen as one of football’s next global icons. Alongside Kylian Mbappé, he is tipped to inherit the spotlight from modern greats Ronaldo and Messi.
Below are some fascinating facts about one of the most exciting players in world football right now.
He’s got a famous dad
Haaland comes from a strong footballing background. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was a well-known figure in Norwegian football and was playing in the Premier League with Leeds United when Erling was born.
Alf-Inge later joined Manchester City, where he also served as captain a connection that may have influenced Erling’s decision to move to the club years later.
“This is a proud day for me and my family,” Haaland said after signing.
“I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons. You can’t help but admire their style of play – it’s exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me.”
Out of nowhere
Before 2019, Haaland was mostly on the radar of football scouts and analysts. That changed dramatically at the Under-20 World Cup, where he scored an astonishing nine goals in a single match for Norway.
He finished the tournament with 11 goals in five games, earning a rapid promotion to the senior national team. His performances caught global attention, with many experts tipping him as a future superstar.
Record breaker
Haaland seems to break records wherever he plays. Beyond his Premier League hat-trick feats, he became the youngest player to reach 50 Bundesliga goals.
He was also the first teenager to score in five straight UEFA Champions League matches and is the youngest player ever to surpass 20 goals in the competition.
Big impact at 15
Haaland made his senior debut at just 15 years old, coming off the bench for Bryne FK in Norway’s second division against Ranheim IL.
His early promise impressed then-Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, earning him a move to the top flight. Within a year at Molde, Haaland moved on again first to Red Bull Salzburg, then Borussia Dortmund, and eventually Manchester City.
Can he play for England?
Haaland was born in Leeds, which technically made him eligible to represent England.
However, any hopes of seeing him in an England shirt were short-lived, as he committed to Norway early in his career and has already been capped at senior level.
A brilliant alarm tone
Haaland is known for his bold and confident quotes. Speaking about the Champions League, he once said:
“The Champions League anthem is my alarm tone. I wake up to it everyday… it’s the last song I’ll get tired of.”
Another memorable line was:
“I sleep with the balls that I scored a hat-trick with… I look at them every day.”
Catch him if you can
Standing at six foot four, Haaland combines size with incredible speed. In a 2020 match against Paris Saint-Germain, his sprint was so fast that it would have qualified him for the 60 metres at the 2018 World Athletics Championships.
That speed equates to roughly 36 km/h (22 mph), making him one of the fastest players in elite football despite his powerful frame.
