Expert explains how Erling Haaland became bigger than the Premier League

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has outgrown the Premier League - at least in terms of social media presence - due to his exploits at the 2026 World Cup.

The Norwegian striker became a viral sensation from the moment he set foot on American soil this summer. He bagged a brace against Iraq in his country's opening game and followed that up with another five goals, including two strikes against record champions Brazil.

Instead of being overawed by his first World Cup and having the weight of a nation on his shoulders, Haaland had the time of his life, helped by the fact that Norway were one of the feel-good stories of this summer's tournament.

Not only did they massively exceed expectations, but their usually reserved fans caused a ruckus in the most positive sense of the term with their Viking row celebration. Haaland and Norway were the neutrals' favourites before their fairytale run came to an end against England.

Although Haaland struggled against the Three Lions as Norway bowed out, the World Cup was an unqualified success for him. He has become one of the biggest stars in the world of sports.

Haaland becomes a media sensation

The American public became infatuated with the scary yet jovial Norwegian. The towering striker's personable attitude and goofy social media personality stand in fascinating contrast to his terrifying physique and footballing ability.

During Norway's run, The Athletic reported that Haaland's entourage had been informed of the sheer upsurge in popularity of the player, which was compared to that of Travis Kelce when he started dating Taylor Swift and won the Super Bowl.

"Haaland’s camp has been told that social-media algorithms are being geared towards Haaland content, because that is where the demand is," the outlet wrote. Haaland's social media presence veritably exploded.

He now boasts 69 million followers on Instagram, which is more than any Premier League club. If he wasn't the face of the English top flight before, he certainly is now.

According to Hendrik Ernst Andreas Storstein Spilker, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Haaland has become a media sensation because "he ticks a lot of boxes" when it comes to the potential for virality.

"There is no recipe for virality, but certain qualities increase the likelihood of spread," Spilker told Universitetsavisa regarding the possible proliferation of social media content. "Humour, satire, irony, mystery, surprise, controversy, topicality and emotional engagement" can help "content spread quickly."

Despite Haaland's popularity exploding in the US, Spilker does not believe that the World Cup's location really influenced his online boom. "I think it would have happened no matter where if a player with his qualities had scored seven goals in a World Cup."

"He delivers extreme performances on the biggest occasions, and in football, the World Cup is the biggest," Spilker added before noting that the 25-year-old also plays his role perfectly by constantly posting on social media and engaging with supporters.

"It's important to talk to the fans," Spilker says, immediately evoking images of the viral clip of Haaland interacting with the young walkout mascots at the World Cup, leaving the children jumping for joy and fostering the notion of a gentle giant.

Norway may not have won silverware this summer, but Haaland is undoubtedly one of the big winners of the 2026 World Cup.