Erling Haaland Religion

What religion is Erling Haaland?

Erling Haaland is a Norwegian professional soccer player who is recognized as a Christian, though he keeps much of his religious life private. The Norwegian striker was born into a Christian family. Erling Haaland is widely regarded as one of the most prolific and dominant forwards in modern football, and he has played for the football clubs Bryne (2016–2017), Molde (2017–2019), Red Bull Salzburg (2019–2020), Borussia Dortmund (2020–2022), and Manchester City (2025–present). He has also played for the Norwegian national team, including in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League.

Early life

Erling Braut Haaland was born on July 21, 2000, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, while his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing for Leeds United in the Premier League. The family relocated to Bryne, Norway, in 2004 after Alf-Inge retired from professional football due to injury. His father had previously played for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, and Manchester City, earning 34 caps for Norway, while his mother, Gry Marita Braut, was a highly accomplished heptathlete and Norway’s national champion in the event. Haaland has two younger siblings, Astor Haaland and Gabrielle Braut Haaland. His cousins, Jonatan Braut Brunes and Albert Tjåland, are also professional footballers.

As a child, Haaland participated in football, handball, athletics, skiing, and golf before focusing exclusively on football. He began his organized football journey with Bryne FK’s youth academy at age five, and during the 2015–16 seasons, he played for the reserve team, Bryne 2. Despite being born in England and holding a British passport, Haaland chose to represent the Norwegian national team internationally.

Contracts, Salary & Career Earnings

During his time at Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, Haaland earned approximately £131,000 per week, around £6.8 million per year. In July 2022, Haaland signed a five-year contract with Manchester City for a transfer fee of £51 million, earning £375,000 per week, or £19.5 million per year in his first two seasons at the club. On January 15, 2025, Haaland signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract extension keeping him at the Etihad until 2034, increasing his base salary to £525,000 per week, or £27.3 million per year, making him the highest-paid player in Premier League history. All release clauses from his previous contract were removed, and the deal is the longest-running in Premier League history. Haaland, who will be 34 when the deal expires, said upon signing: “I am going to stay for a long time. Now I can fully focus on getting better.”

When image rights payments of approximately £12 million per year and performance bonuses, including a reported £150,000 per goal after his 20th of the season, are factored in, his total annual compensation reaches an estimated £43 million, placing him among the five highest-paid footballers in the world. His total career earnings from professional contracts stand at approximately £80 million as of the 2025–26 season.

Club career

Bryne

Haaland began his senior career at Bryne FK, scoring 18 goals in 14 matches for the reserve team before making his first-team debut against Manheim II on 12 May 2016 as a substitute.

Molde

In 2017, after a trial with German club 1899 Hoffenheim, he signed with Molde FK in Norway, developing under former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He scored four goals in a single Eliteserien match in 2018, helping the team finish second in the league and finishing the season as the club’s top scorer, and was honored with the Eliteserien Breakthrough of the Year award.

Red Bull Salzburg

Haaland signed for Red Bull Salzburg in January 2019 and scored a first-half hat-trick on his UEFA Champions League debut, a feat no player had achieved before. He scored in five consecutive Champions League matches, becoming the first teenager in history to do so. He finished with 29 goals in 27 games, winning the Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup before departing.

Borussia Dortmund

In January 2020, Haaland joined Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and marked his debut with a hat-trick within 23 minutes against FC Augsburg, becoming the first Bundesliga player to score seven goals in his first three games. With Borussia Dortmund, he won the DFB-Pokal in 2020–21 and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season, finishing with 86 goals in 89 appearances before departing for Manchester City.

Manchester City

On 10 May 2022, Premier League club Manchester City announced they had reached a deal to sign Haaland after activating his €60 million (£51.2 million) release clause. Haaland’s debut season in 2022–23 broke several records; he scored 36 Premier League goals, the most ever in a single season, and 52 in all competitions, the most by any City player, helping the club win the treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. His efforts earned him both Premier League Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season honors. He backed that up with a second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot in 2023–24, with 27 league goals and 38 across all competitions. On 2 December 2025, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in his 111th appearance against Fulham, breaking Alan Shearer’s record by 13 games. In the 2025–26 season, he has scored 26 goals and provided 8 assists in 26 Premier League appearances, while also becoming the fastest player to reach 50 UEFA Champions League goals in just 49 matches.

International career

Haaland made his senior debut for Norway on 5 September 2019. At the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he scored nine goals in a single match against Honduras, a tournament record. In September 2025, he scored five goals as Norway thrashed Moldova 11–1 in a World Cup qualifier, becoming the first European player to achieve that feat in a qualifier since Hans Krankl in 1977 before following it with a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Israel the following month. Those eight goals in two games made him the fastest player to 50 international goals, reaching the milestone in just 46 caps, obliterating Harry Kane’s previous record of 71. He is Norway’s all-time top scorer and remains their greatest hope of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Away from football, Haaland is known for being very private and calm. He practices meditation regularly and focuses heavily on fitness, sleep, and recovery to maintain his performance level.

In October 2024, Haaland and his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, announced that they were expecting their first child together. Their son was born in December.

Outside of football, Haaland enjoys gaming, especially Minecraft; spending time in nature; golf, and relaxing with friends and family. Haaland has additionally shown interest in Norwegian culture and history. In 2025, he and his father bought a rare historical Viking book at auction before donating it to their local community library in Norway.