Erling Haaland is set to lead Norway against England in the World Cup quarter-finals
Norway's Erling Haaland at the end of the match during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 5, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Erling Haaland is hoping to lead his nation to glory against England(Image: Getty)
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Erling Haaland is set to play the most important match of his international career.
This Saturday night, the Norwegian striker will lead his nation against England, his country of birth, in a World Cup quarter-final. While England are favourites to advance to the semi-finals, Norway's historic 2-1 win over Brazil in the previous round is sufficient evidence to show Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions they must not take their Scandinavian opponents lightly.
Manchester City's prolific forward Haaland has been instrumental to their achievements. His brace against Brazil demonstrated just how ruthless and formidable he is in front of goal. With seven goals to his name, the 25-year-old will be eager to deliver another famous victory and continue his hunt for the golden boot.
Now, following Haaland's recent exploits on the pitch, the Manchester Evening News revisits three off-field developments at each of his previous three clubs - Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City - that led him to this point.
'Five girlfriends' comment - Red Bull Salzburg
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (L) and partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen arrive for the Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, 30 October 2023.
Haaland is in a long-term relationship with Isabel Haugseng Johansen(Image: MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
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In 2019, while Haaland was still an emerging talent and not yet a household name, he was even more prone to unfiltered, non-media trained interviews than he is today. During his time with Salzburg, the goal-scoring phenomenon claimed his five girlfriends were key to his sudden success.
In reality, the teenage sensation was referring to the five footballs he had collected for each of his hat-tricks up to that point, confessing he even slept with them. He had enjoyed a meteoric rise after bursting onto the scene in Austria, where he netted 28 goals in 22 appearances that season.
Opening up about his passion for the game and his pride in scoring hat-tricks, Haaland told Dagbladet: "I sleep with the five balls that I have for each hat-trick I scored. I lie in bed and I feel good with them. I look at them every day. They are my girlfriends."
The superstar striker's actual girlfriend is his long-term partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen. The pair grew up in the same hometown, share a home in Cheshire and have a son together.
Labelled a 'burden' - Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland has waved goodbye to Dortmund ahead of a move to Manchester City. (Photo by Alex Gottschalk/vi/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Haaland left Dortmund for Man City in 2022 (Image: Getty)
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Having completed his move to Dortmund in December 2019, Haaland immediately took his game to another level during the Covid-19-struck season. He swiftly established himself as one of the most devastating forwards on the planet, combining raw power, blistering pace, a razor-sharp finishing instinct and plenty of charisma.
After smashing records with 86 goals in 89 appearances in Germany, Haaland found himself being pursued by Europe's elite clubs. Ultimately, he chose to sign for his dad's former club, City, in an £85.5m deal during the summer of 2022.
While many at his former club were left heartbroken, Dortmund's then-sporting director Sebastian Kehl made the astonishing claim that Haaland had ultimately become a "burden in the dressing room". The Black and Yellow's boss insisted he was actually happy to see the 22-year-old depart the club.
Kehl said: "As much as we always liked Erling, and as successful as he was with us – in the end the topic also became a certain burden in the dressing room, at the club and in the environment. Almost everything simply focused on him in the outside world and covered up many BVB issues that would also have been important.
"[It was] ultimately the right one for both sides. The time without him offers us the opportunity for other players to get more space and the lack of focus on Erling represents a chance for us as a team."
Current net worth - Manchester City
Erling Haaland of Manchester City puts the crown from the 2022/2023 Premier League trophy on his head after dropping it during the After Party Celebration to mark the achievements of Manchester City men’s, women’s and academy teams during the 25/26 season at The Co-op Live Arena on May 25, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Haaland is the Premier League's highest-paid player (Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
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Following his successful adaptation to the challenges of English football, shattering the Premier League's single-season goalscoring record and securing a Treble with City, Haaland put pen to paper on a new nine-and-a-half year deal in January 2025, during a tough spell for the club on the field.
As a result, the Norwegian sensation reportedly earns a basic salary of £500,000-per-week at the Etihad, making him comfortably the highest earner in the Premier League. Forbes, as of May 2026, estimated Haaland’s net worth to be in the region of $80m (£60m).
Beyond his substantial salary, Haaland generates significant income through his commercial partnerships with Beats by Dre, Breitling, Dolce and Gabbana, Supercell, Visa and others. He profited from a bidding war to sign him to a new boot sponsorship, eventually choosing Nike.