Erling Haaland invests in new chess world championship tour

Martin Macdonald

• 21 Mar 2026 09:01 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Erling Haaland has invested in Norway Chess and its new tour format, the Total Chess World Championship Tour.

The Manchester City superstar is a keen chess player and wants to help the sport reach new, broader audiences.

Haaland, alongside Norwegian businessman Morten Borge, has established the company Chess Mates, which will be a significant owner of Norway Chess.

“Chess is an incredible game. It sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football. You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything”, he told the official International Chess Federation website.

“I’m investing in Norway Chess because I believe the new Total Chess World Championship Tour can turn chess into an even bigger sport for spectators around the world. The team behind Norway Chess has already done an impressive job growing the event, and joining the project was too exciting to pass up."

Borge, meanwhile, said: “Chess is ultimately about strategy and long-term thinking. Those are qualities that also define both elite sport and the ability to make sound investments over time. In many ways, chess sits right at the intersection of the worlds Erling and I come from. I’ve even promised to give Erling a bit of chess training!”

The federation called Haaland a "natural partner" to help expand the popularity of chess worldwide due to his huge following in football and on social media, with 40 million followers on Instagram.

“Chess – like football – has always been a global language of strategy and creativity," says FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.

"Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today. As FIDE President, it has always been my ambition to build chess into a sustainable and attractive global sport.

"Working closely with my team and with forward-thinking partners such as Norway Chess, our goal is to develop the Total World Chess Championship Tour into the most compelling intellectual sporting event in the world."

The Total Chess World Championship Tour will consist of four annual tournaments, hosted by four different cities, and will crown a combined world champion across three disciplines — Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz chess.

A pilot tournament is set for 2026 with a full season set to commence in 2027 with a yearly prize pool of $2.7 million.

The CEO of Norway Chess and Total Chess, welcomed the investment and involvement of the Man City star as a long-term strategic partner.

“We expect the new championship to become one of the most prestigious events in the global chess calendar," Kjell Madland said.

"The fact that Erling is joining us as an investor says a great deal about the commercial potential of this tour. Erling has an enormous global following and is truly world-class when it comes to creating magical sporting moments. I am absolutely certain he will bring tremendous value to Total Chess, help generate increased interest in the fascinating world of chess, and attract new audiences.

"He has already contributed with several great ideas. With Erling on board, we are now entering the final phase of finding host cities for the first tour."

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store