Erling Haaland recently gave fans another glimpse of his dry sense of humour during an interaction with young supporters. A video showing the Manchester City and Norway superstar speaking to a group of children quickly gained attention online. The youngsters appeared eager to get his attention as the prolific striker walked past them during a training session. One of the children asked the towering forward a question, prompting a typically blunt response from the Norwegian goal machine. “I’m a bit busy, mate,” Haaland replied, leaving the children and those watching the exchange amused. The short clip was subsequently shared widely across social media platforms.
The light-hearted moment added to the 25-year-old’s reputation for delivering unexpectedly funny responses in public interactions. Despite his intimidating presence on the football pitch, the powerful goalscorer is frequently seen joking with teammates and supporters. Haaland has also spoken about maintaining a relaxed routine away from competitive football. During Norway’s 2026 World Cup campaign, he revealed that he enjoyed golf, cards and video games during downtime. “Everyone does their own thing. Some play cards, we do not; we play golf, we joke, we play a bit of (Super) Mario, a bit of Pokemon, and so on. We know how to enjoy ourselves,” the Norwegian star said.
Erling Haaland’s seven-goal World Cup campaign helps Norway make history
Erling Haaland enjoyed a remarkable World Cup campaign as Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. The prolific striker scored seven goals during the tournament, making an immediate impact on his World Cup debut. He scored twice against Senegal in Norway’s 3-2 group-stage victory. The result secured Norway’s progression to the knockout stage.
The Norwegian superstar saved his most memorable performance for the last 16. Facing five-time champions Brazil, the powerful forward scored twice in the final stages as Norway secured a historic 2-1 victory. His goals took his tournament tally to seven and sent Norway into their first-ever World Cup quarter-final. However, England ended Norway’s remarkable journey in the quarter-finals. Haaland was unable to score in the defeat, but his seven-goal campaign still earned him a place in FIFA’s fan-voted World Cup Dream Team. He received 27.5% of the forward votes. The Manchester City striker’s performances also placed him among the tournament’s leading Golden Boot contenders.
