Norwegian football star Erling Haaland has become an unlikely internet sensation in China, where fans have turned the Manchester City striker into a meme phenomenon.
Fresh from helping Norway qualify for its first FIFA World Cup since 1998, Haaland has attracted hundreds of millions of views across Chinese social media. Hashtags related to the striker have generated more than 490 million views on Weibo, while his newly launched Douyin account gained nearly 200,000 followers within days.
Chinese fans have embraced Haaland’s imposing physique and goalscoring ability, giving him nicknames such as “robot striker” and “Nordic cyborg.” One viral clip showing a powerful shot striking a defender earned him another nickname: “ball quality inspector.”
At the same time, fans have highlighted a softer side of the Norwegian forward. Videos of Haaland casually eating carrots, signing autographs and joking with supporters have led to the affectionate nickname “Habao,” or “Ha Baby.”
The 26-year-old has also joined Chinese online trends, including recreating a popular tourist pose at Chongqing’s Liziba monorail station. Responding to a fan question on Douyin about whether he is a robot, Haaland joked: “Maybe I am, sometimes.”
His growing popularity has also attracted commercial interest. Haaland recently became a global ambassador for Chinese herbal tea brand Wanglaoji and continues to promote Norwegian seafood in China through the Norwegian Seafood Council.
