Haaland is ‘the signing’
The seven goals at the World Cup for Norway and his pleasant, affectionate personality make him the most sought-after player on the planet.
The image of Vinicius emerging from behind a curtain to shake Haaland’s hand, together with the respectful, good-natured way the Norwegian celebrated his brace against Brazil, shows that the City striker is a player admired by everyone, teammates and opponents alike: a ruthless forward on the pitch and a warm, likeable figure off it. Naturally, that pleases City, the club that invested most heavily in him, but it also attracts other suitors, among them Madrid.
An extraordinary footballer, as his World Cup numbers demonstrate. He has scored seven goals in five matches for Norway, carried his country to the quarter-finals after eliminating none other than Brazil, and continues to break record after record. Never before had a player matched his goalscoring tally on a World Cup debut since Gerd Müller in 1974. He is already being mentioned alongside some of the greatest strikers in history.
The image of Haaland holding the bass drum, carrying the rhythm of the Viking Row, also shows that he has not lost touch with his roots, nor does he shy away from being the centre of attention for reasons beyond his goals. Haaland is widely liked, possesses the qualities that earn opponents’ respect, is active and engaging on social media, approachable with supporters, courteous with the press, and seemingly down to earth, as he showed during the World Cup by strolling through Times Square like any other tourist and dressing as a cowboy while in Dallas.
Most importantly, though, his goals continue to captivate the football world. His numbers for Norway are staggering. He has scored 62 goals in 54 appearances, averaging more than one goal per game, an extraordinary return that adds to the 297 goals he has scored at club level for City (162), Dortmund (86), Salzburg (29) and Molde (20), across 364 matches for those four clubs. Combined, his record for club and country stands at a remarkable 359 goals in 418 matches, an average of 0.85 goals per game. Simply extraordinary. Simply Haaland.
Well well well 😂 pic.twitter.com/IWe7l9AhZo
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) July 5, 2026
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