BEIJING — There may be no Chinese players at this year’s World Cup, but China has found its own soccer hero: Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.
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The 6ft 4in Manchester City star has become a sensation on Chinese social media, with fans affectionately calling him “Ha Bao”, which translates to “Baby Ha”.
“I never thought I would like another football player after Cristiano Ronaldo,” Gum Li, a 34-year-old man from Guangdong province, told NBC News via messaging app on Wednesday. “But he won me over after I watched a lot of videos on social media of Haaland playing for Manchester City, as well as videos of his funny moments off the pitch.”
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Chinese social media users have turned Haaland’s exaggerated facial expressions into a repository of viral memes, comparing him to the cat from the American cartoon Tom and Jerry. Clips of Haaland racing around the field in his signature forward-leaning style have also become wildly popular.
Others shared memes comparing Haaland’s long blonde hair to that of celebrities like Nicole Kidman, and said he changed their idea of ”blonde beauty.”
Since launching his official account on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, just over a month ago, Haaland has amassed 5.8 million followers, more than the population of Norway.
In English and Chinese news during the World Cup, Haaland, 25, shared his excitement over victories such as Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil on Sunday, with both goals coming courtesy of Haaland.
Haaland celebrates a goal against Iraq during the World Cup at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 16.Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
“The numbers speak for themselves – he scores a lot of goals,” said Zhang Yihuai, a 23-year-old player who followed the tournament from Shanghai.
“I think Erling Haaland is the best striker in the world,” Zhang said. “He’s still very young and I think he can remain the best striker in the world for the next five to eight years.”
On Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, Haaland’s hair bands have become a must-have fashion accessory, with fans joking that they hope to keep their hair as perfectly intact as Haaland’s post-match.
His huge fan base helped Haaland secure major business deals with Chinese companies, starring in an advertising campaign for herbal tea brand Walovi.
It also has a timely partnership with Chinese appliance maker Midea, whose air conditioners and other cooling products have seen sales surge in Europe amid unprecedented heat.
On the Norwegian side, Haaland promotes his country’s fresh Atlantic salmon in China, one of Norway’s largest seafood markets.
Football fans in China have long rooted for the world’s biggest sports stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But Haaland’s overwhelming popularity takes a completely different form.
A still from Haaland advertising Norwegian salmon in a supermarket in Shanghai on Sunday.Wang Gan/Future publication via Getty Images
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a superstar we look up to from afar,” Lee said. “Haaland, on the other hand, feels more like one of our close friends.”
Haaland has taken advantage of a unique style of interacting closely with fans on Chinese social media.
In one popular Douyin video, Haaland, also known as the “Nordic Cyborg” in China, directly answered a fan’s question about whether he was really a robot.
Looking into the camera with a straight face and mischievous tone, Haaland said, “Maybe sometimes it is.”
Even his partner, Norwegian Isabelle Haugseng Johansen, has found success on Douyin, with around 350,000 followers on the platform.
Erling Haaland and Isabelle Haugseng Johansen at a fashion show in Rome last year.Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Fans also contrast Haaland’s Scandinavian upbringing and passionate approach to football with China’s state-run sports system, which defines promising athletes as children and emphasizes sacrifice.
“He plays football purely because he loves it and dreams of it. He is proud to represent his country, but he is not burdened with overwhelming pressure or expectations,” Lee said. “This is very different from the behavior of many athletes in my country, who often come from disadvantaged backgrounds and see sport primarily as a way to make a living.”
Besides his skills, Haaland seems to enjoy “genuine friendship and teamwork with his teammates,” Lee said.
“He comes across as someone who is comfortable in his own skin and is completely authentic,” she said. “In many ways, he is living the life most of us would like to have.”