A goal-scoring machine, a lethal finisher, and a towering figure at 6’4″—probably a Viking with his golden hair who could easily star in a luxury shampoo ad—Erling Haaland is truly in a class of his own. The Manchester City star needs no introduction, captivating the world not just by speaking the language of the beautiful game with his feet, but also with a charm unlike any seen before. While there’s almost everything fans already know about Haaland, many still wonder about his ethnicity and religion. Before we unveil it, let’s take a deeper look at his roots.

Where is Erling Haaland from? What’s his nationality?

Erling Haaland came into the world on July 21, 2000. Though his parents, Alfie Haaland and Gry Marit, are from Norway, the striker was born in Leeds, United Kingdom, as his father played for Leeds United from 1997 to 2000. It was only in 2004 that the entire family moved back to Norway, where, as soon as he turned five, Erling joined a local soccer academy in Bryne. The rest, as everyone knows, is history.

Of course, being born in England made many wonder whether Haaland could have represented the Three Lions on the international stage. However, from childhood, his parents deeply instilled Norwegian values and culture in him. Growing up alongside elder brother, Astor and younger sister, Gabrielle for years, there was little doubt that Erling would end up representing the Norway national team.

When asked whether he considered playing for England in the 2022 World Cup, with how his current team has failed to qualify for major international tournaments, Haaland said, “I lived in Norway for such a long time, so it was natural for me to choose Norway. You never know how it would be if my father had played longer in England. Maybe I would be English. But I don’t know, I’m a Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”

Imagine if Haaland senior had remained in England for a few more years, then boy, Haaland’s football journey could have been way different. Either way, the former Molde striker was all in on his home country. That explains why he has been a part of the Landslaget since the U15 level, steadily working his way through the U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U21 squads.

Currently, Erling is leading the forward line of the Norway senior national team, for whom he has netted 42 goals and recorded 4 assists in over 43 appearances. But he has yet to win any major trophies with them, let alone help them qualify for big tournaments like the Euros or the World Cup. While there’s already plenty of clarity about his nationality and family roots, let’s dive into his ethnicity and religion.

What is Erling Haaland’s ethnicity and religion?

Erling Haaland has not commented on his ethnicity or religion, most of the Norwegian population identify as Lutheran Christians. As for ethnicity, the most dominant one in Norway, is, as you might have guessed, Norwegian.

Then again, many people allege that he might be a Muslim. This theory stems from his interesting social media activity, where during his time at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland once replied ‘Alhamdulillah’ under a tweet featuring Mahmoud Dahoud.

While that was backed by saying he must have done it out of respect for his teammate’s faith, another moment saw the former RB Salzburg player responding to a birthday greeting with ‘Inshallah,’ which translates to ‘God willing’ in Arabic. Hence, it was obvious for fans to see their curiosity rise, further igniting a debate about whether he actually had any personal ties to the Islamic religion.

Regardless, one has to know that Erling Haaland might have done it casually, trying to convey some kind of hope or good wishes, without it necessarily reflecting his own religious beliefs. So it is believed that the 2023 UEFA Best Player of the Year winner comes from a Christian background, considering the demographics of Norway.