From the boy no one believed in to Norway's hero; why Erling Haaland became the most beloved star of the World Cup

Erling Haaland

He is Norwegian, but his appearance reminds you of Ivan Dragon from the movie "Rocky". Nearly two meters tall, big, with fierce features and a characteristic calm even after scoring goals. However, the smile almost never leaves his face.

Erling Braut Haaland is leading Norway to their first ever World Cup quarter-final. And he has done so in his first appearance at the biggest football tournament.

Tonight at midnight, facing England, the team he could have represented, having been born in Leeds, Haaland and Norway have the chance to write another chapter in history. But regardless of the result, the 25-year-old has already won the hearts of fans as one of the most charming stars of this World Cup.

He doesn't just stand out for his goal-scoring instinct, being among the tournament's top scorers, just one goal behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. His personality, humor and self-irony have made him one of the most beloved figures of the World Cup, often giving the impression of a child who has just realized his life's dream.

After the victory over Brazil, he was the one who led the traditional Norwegian celebration with the shout of "Ro!", and was later seen celebrating in the locker room with Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and her brother.

The boy no one considered an extraordinary talent

Haaland's story is even more impressive because in his early days he was not considered a phenomenon.

In 2014, during a Norwegian Football Association camp in Stavanger, he was among the 30 best footballers born in 2000. At the end of the camp, the coaches were asked to choose the player they believed would achieve international success.

No one put a sign next to Erling Haaland's name.

A short time later, everything changed. His brother, Astor, has revealed that Erling grew about 20 centimeters in a year and added about 20 kilograms of body mass, surpassing even his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, in height.

But he never lacked self-confidence. Former Norway captain Brede Hangeland recalls that at a training camp, Haaland, just 14 years old, spoke with conviction that he would become the best striker in the world.

"Shumica e djemve 14-vjeçarë mezi më shikonin në sy. Jo Haland", kujton Hangeland.

Sot, statistikat e justifikojnë atë vetëbesim. Ai ka realizuar 297 gola në 364 ndeshje me Molde, Salcburgun, Borusian e Dortmundit dhe Mançester Siti, ndërsa me Norvegjinë ka shënuar 62 gola në vetëm 54 ndeshje, duke gjetur rrugën e rrjetës në secilën nga 14 sfidat e fundit me kombëtaren.

Pse në fanellë mban edhe mbiemrin e nënës

Në fanellën e Mançester Sitit shkruhet thjesht "Haland", por me kombëtaren norvegjeze ai përdor emrin e plotë "Braut Haland", duke nderuar edhe mbiemrin e nënës së tij, Graj Marita Braut.

Në kulturën norvegjeze është e zakonshme që mbiemri të përfshijë edhe linjën familjare të nënës. Babai i tij, Alf-Inge Haland, ishte ish-futbollist i Premier Ligës dhe i kombëtares norvegjeze, ndërsa nëna ka qenë atlete elitare në shtatëgarësh.

Edhe në fillimet e karrierës te Salcburgu dhe Borusia e Dortmundit, sulmuesi prezantohej si Erling Braut Haland, përpara se ta shkurtonte emrin në klubet e fundit.

Libri 430-vjeçar që bleu për t'ia dhuruar qytetit të tij

Përtej futbollit, Haland ka treguar edhe një anë tjetër të personalitetit të tij.

Pak muaj më parë, ai dhe babai i tij blenë për 1.3 milionë korona norvegjeze (rreth 118 mijë euro) një botim të rrallë të vitit 1594 me rrëfime për mbretërit dhe luftëtarët vikingë, vepër e historianit mesjetar Snorri Sturluson.

Libri iu dhurua bibliotekës së qytetit Bryne, ku Haland u rrit, në mënyrë që të jetë i aksesueshëm për të gjithë.

Në atë kohë, sulmuesi norvegjez deklaroi:

"Dua që ky libër të jetë gjithmonë i hapur, në mënyrë që njerëzit të lexojnë për ata që vinin nga vendlindja ime, Bryne dhe Zharen. Unë pata fatin të realizoja ëndrrën time përmes futbollit dhe e di që jo të gjithë e kanë këtë mundësi. Librat u japin shumë më tepër njerëzve mundësinë të ëndërrojnë, të zbulojnë horizonte të reja dhe të gjejnë rrugën e tyre."

Haland, fenomen edhe në rrjetet sociale

Forma e jashtëzakonshme në Botëror është reflektuar edhe në popullaritetin e tij.

Në shtator ai hapi kanalin e tij në YouTube, ku publikon video me momente nga jeta jashtë fushës, duke treguar anën e tij gazmore dhe spontane.

On social media, he doesn't hesitate to make fun of his appearance, comparing himself to Shrek or the Japanese character Majin Buu. It is precisely this self-irony that has made him even more beloved by the public.

In the last month alone, his Instagram account has gained nearly 18 million new followers. According to the platform Social Blade, five million of them were added in just 24 hours after his two goals against Brazil.

His YouTube channel also gained around 900,000 new subscribers, while searches for his name on Google were accompanied by a special animation with drum beats and Norwegian symbols, evidence of the global impact that Haaland has gained during this World Cup./" Protothema ", adapted into Albanian, Pamphlet

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