Erling Haaland has shocked fans by debuting a new hairstyle, abandoning his trademark Viking-style long locks for a buzz cut.
The Manchester City and Norway striker teased the new trim in a short Instagram video posted on Sunday morning. Fans will get to see it in full as City take on Bournemouth in their Premier League opener.
Pep Guardiola, who managed Haaland at City, reacted to the new look on his YouTube channel. "No way," he said. "You are lucky you have hair!"
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward who once told Haaland his power comes from his long hair, asked if he had shaved it all off "for a bet." Jack Grealish told the striker, "I can't stop looking at the top of your head."
A new look at 26
Haaland has varied his hairstyle over the years, sometimes wearing it in a ponytail and other times letting it fall freely, but the buzz cut marks an entirely new aesthetic for the 26-year-old.
Summer holiday with Umar Kamani
The forward has enjoyed a free-spirited summer since reaching the World Cup quarter-finals with Norway. He spent time on a yacht in the French Riviera with Pretty Little Thing founder Umar Kamani and went on a boat trip around Sicily.
Haaland also got the chance to meet basketball legend Michael Jordan, a link-up brokered by one of Kamani's friends, as exclusively revealed by Daily Mail Sport. He and Kamani stayed at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a coastal resort in Antibes where suites cost up to £7,058 a night, a modest sum for Haaland, who earns close to £1million a week, and for Kamani, whose net worth is estimated at around $1billion (£797million).
Haaland recently said on Snapchat that his brain was "fried" after playing 67 games for club and country last season, explaining why a break was needed.
De Bruyne on Haaland's hair
The Norwegian's hair has proved popular in the past. Former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said in 2023 that his own children had been inspired by Haaland's look. "Erling is a superstar. All three children have long hair. I see that with the kids at [my son's] school too. They all have hair like that. It's funny," he said.
Community Shield defeat
Haaland wore his hair in a ponytail for last week's Community Shield match against Arsenal but was ineffective as Manchester City lost 3-0, a languid and toothless performance that put new manager Enzo Maresca under early pressure.
Haaland was limited to 13 touches and had zero shots on target before being substituted against the champions.
