Erling Haaland faces England with Leeds roots: The path that made him a Norway star
Erling Haaland, the Norway striker born in Leeds, will try to eliminate England from the World Cup quarter-finals on 11 July 2026: a twist rooted in his first four years on British soil.
Haaland’s father, Alfie Haaland, was a professional footballer who moved from Leeds United to Manchester City in 2000. The family lived in West Yorkshire when Erling was born on 21 July 2000. His parents spoke English at home during the day and switched to Norwegian in the evenings. By age three or four, Haaland was fluent in both languages.
The family returned to Norway in 2003 after his father’s career ended through injury. They settled in Bryne, a town in south-western Norway. Haaland’s youth coach at Bryne FK, Alf Ingve Berntsen, recalls the striker’s bilingual start. “When you are three or four and used to speaking English in the daytime but Norwegian in the evenings, then you go back home to Norway, it’s all about the Norwegian language,” Berntsen said.
Haaland faced a clear choice by 2013. Speaking to Goal.com in 2023, he said: “I lived here (in the UK) for three and a half to four years, and I lived in Norway for such a long time, so then it was natural to choose Norway. You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know, but I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”
His mother and father are Norwegian. His grandparents, cousins, brother and sister all live in Norway. Berntsen, who coached Haaland from ages eight to 15, said: “His mum and dad are Norwegian, he left England when he was three or four. So it was theoretically possible, but not in reality.”
Gareth Southgate, England’s head coach in 2020, admitted England’s youth system rarely tracks prospects who are already tied to another nation. “We recruit early, but we wouldn’t have been into him when he was still in Yorkshire,” Southgate said. “He was tied up pretty early by Norway, and with players like him, they’re quite clear where they want to play as well.”
Haaland made his Norway debut in 2019. He has since scored 35 goals in 50 caps and led Norway to the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, where he faces England in Miami.
Haaland’s childhood split between Leeds and Bryne shaped his identity. He celebrates Norway’s “Viking Row” after scoring twice to beat Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16 on 5 July 2026. The Athletic understands Haaland will remain Norway’s talisman regardless of tonight’s result.
England’s Kane, meanwhile, has his own history with Norway. The two strikers could have shared a pitch if Haaland had chosen England. Instead, Haaland’s Leeds birthplace fuels tonight’s narrative: a player born in England, raised in Norway, now trying to knock England out of the World Cup.