Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Norway national team. He is known for his speed, strength, positioning, and finishing inside the box.
๐ Early Life and Youth
Haaland was born on 21 July 2000 in Leeds, England, while his father Alfie was playing for Leeds United. He moved to Bryne, Norway at age three and grew up as a Leeds supporter.
His mother was a national heptathlon champion in Norway. As a child, Haaland participated in handball, golf, and track and field, and reportedly achieved a world record in the standing long jump at age five.
๐ณ๐ด Bryne and Molde
Haaland started at Bryne’s academy at age five and played for their reserve team, scoring 18 goals in 18 matches. He made his senior debut for Bryne on 12 May, three months before his 16th birthday.
On 1 February 2017, Molde announced the signing of the 16-year-old Haaland. He finished his first season at Molde with four goals in 20 appearances.
On 1 July 2018, Haaland scored four goals in the opening 21 minutes against Brann. He finished the 2018 season as Molde’s top goalscorer with 16 goals in 30 matches.
๐ฆ๐น Red Bull Salzburg
Haaland joined Red Bull Salzburg on 1 January 2019, signing a five-year contract. He scored his first hat-trick for the club on 19 July in an Austrian Cup win.
He made his Champions League debut against Genk, scoring three goals in the first half. Haaland became the first teenager to score in his first five matches of a Champions League group stage.
He departed Salzburg having recorded 29 goals, with 28 coming in only 22 appearances during the 2019โ20 season.
๐ก Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund confirmed the signing of Haaland on 29 December 2019 for a fee reported to be around โฌ20 million. He made his debut away to FC Augsburg on 18 January 2020, scoring a hat-trick within 23 minutes.
Haaland became the first Bundesliga player to score five goals in his opening two matches. He scored both Dortmund goals in their 2โ1 first leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.
On 21 November 2020, Haaland scored four goals in 32 minutes of a 5โ2 away victory against Hertha BSC. He concluded his 2019โ20 campaign with 44 goals in 40 club appearances across all competitions for both Salzburg and Dortmund.
๐ Manchester City and Records
In 2022, Haaland transferred to Manchester City for a fee of โฌ60 million. He set the record for most goals in a Premier League season (36) and most goals by a Premier League player in all competitions in one season (52).
He won the Premier League Golden Boot, European Golden Shoe, and the Gerd Mรผller Trophy. Haaland is the only player to win the awards for Premier League Young Player and Player of the Season in the same season.
๐ณ๐ด International Career
Haaland represented Norway at the youth level, winning the Golden Boot at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut for Norway in 2019 and has since scored 62 goals in 54 appearances.
He is Norway’s all-time top goalscorer. Haaland is the sixth player to reach 50 international goals in under 50 appearances, doing so in 46 games.
| Club | Period | Key Achievement | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryne | 2015โ2016 | Senior debut at age 15 | 18 (reserve team) |
| Molde | 2017โ2018 | Top scorer in 2018 | 16 (2018 season) |
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2019 | First-half hat-trick on Champions League debut | 29 total |
| Borussia Dortmund | 2020โ2022 | Fastest to 15 Champions League goals | 44 (2019โ20 season) |