• Faith: Unknown
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  July 21, 2000

Erling Haaland is a Norwegian professional soccer player who currently plays for Manchester City in the English Premier League. He is also a member of Norway's 2026 World Cup team, which reached the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Erling was born in Leeds, England, as his father was playing professionally for Leeds United at that time. However, the family moved back to Norway when Erling was three. He entered the soccer academy of his hometown's team, Bryne FK, at the age of 5. He progressed through the ranks at Bryne and began playing for the club's reserve team at the age of 15. The following season, he was promoted to the senior club and played 16 games before being transferred to Molde FK in the top Norwegian league for the 2017 season. In two seasons at Molde, Erling scored 20 goals in 50 appearances.

Erling joined Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg ahead of their 2019–20 campaign, which provided Haaland's very first opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League. He immediately took the continent by storm, becoming the first player in football history to record a first-half hat-trick on his Champions League debut against Genk. He followed that feat by becoming the first teenager to score in five consecutive Champions League matches, though Salzburg ultimately failed to advance beyond the competitive group stage. Highlighting his astonishing efficiency, Haaland amassed a staggering 28 goals in only 22 total appearances for the club before orchestrating a high-profile winter transfer to Borussia Dortmund midway through the season.

In December 2019, Haaland moved to Borussia Dortmund from Salzburg. He made his Dortmund debut on January 18, 2020, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a game against FC Augsburg. He quickly made his mark, scoring a hat trick in the second half to help Dortmund to a 5-3 victory. In his next game, against FC Köln, he scored two more goals, becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to score 5 goals in his first two games. He stayed at Dortmund through the 2021-22 season, though his final season was marred by two injuries that sidelined him for significant stretches. He finished his career at Dortmund with 86 goals in 89 appearances.

Erling joined Manchester City for the 2022-23 season and, during his time at City, has helped lead them to several trophies, including two Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League title. He has also won the Golden Boot for the Premier League's top scorer three times. In his first four seasons with Man City, he has scored 162 goals in 196 appearances.

The 2026 World Cup marked Haaland's inaugural appearance on the global stage. He made an immediate impact during his tournament debut, securing a brace to lead Norway to a convincing 4-1 win against Iraq. Following this impressive performance, Erling's prolific scoring record for his country now reaches 36 goals across 34 senior matches since he first represented the national side in 2019.

Erling has focused his charitable efforts on reading initiatives and competitions in Norway, as well as on supporting efforts to make sporting opportunities available to children with various disadvantages. He supports the Norwegian organization Vivil IL and the international charity Right to Play, both of which work to provide sporting and play opportunities for children around the world.

Erling Haaland’s Religious Beliefs

Erling was born in England to Norwegian parents and was raised in Norway from the age of 3. Both England and Norway are predominantly Christian countries, so it is logical to assume that Haaland is Christian. However, he has not made any public declaration of his religious faith (if any). Further muddying the waters is the fact that he has occasionally posted Arabic phrases on his social media accounts, leading some to speculate that he has perhaps converted to Islam. However, just as he has not publicly stated that he is Christian, he has also not stated that he is Muslim.