Erling Haaland is absolutely crushing it at the World Cup, leading Norway past Brazil and right into the quarterfinals after they missed the last six tournaments! This dude is a serious contender for the Golden Boot, and his goal-scoring ability is just straight-up otherworldly, no matter how big the game is. But get this, the journey for one of soccer's biggest stars actually started with a wild twist: his own dad originally wanted him to pick up a different sport entirely.
Alfie Haaland: A Pro's Path to Pushing Fairways?
We're talking about Alf-Inge "Alfie" Haaland, Erling's father, who had a solid professional soccer career himself, playing as a right back and midfielder. Alfie represented Norway on the international stage and balled out at the club level for parts of four different decades, from 1989 all the way to 2013! He even played for massive clubs like Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, and Manchester City, netting three goals in 35 appearances with City. Alfie was on Norway's 1994 World Cup roster and even though injury kept him off the 1998 Round of 16 squad, he made 34 appearances for his country. His career was wild, too. Back in 1998, while he was with Leeds United, their team plane actually aborted takeoff, 150 feet in the air, because of an engine fire and overshot the runway coming back down! Crazy, right? Only a team staff member was injured, but that's a story you don't hear every day. Alfie later battled knee issues that prematurely ended his club career at the highest levels, finishing up closer to home in Norway. He has five children in total, two with his second wife, Anita Stromsvol, after divorcing Erling's mom, Gry. It's wild to think that despite his own soccer life, Alfie wanted Erling to swing clubs!From Heptathlon Champ to Football Prodigy's Mom
Can you believe Alfie's "biggest dream" was for Erling to become a professional golfer? Erling himself spilled the beans on "The Rest is Football" podcast. "That was his biggest dream," Erling said. But hey, growing up around a soccer lifer like Alfie meant Erling learned the game like it was second nature anyway. And let's not forget Erling's mom, Gry Marita Braut. She's also Norwegian, and get this, she was a high-level heptathlete! Gry actually won a heptathlon championship in Norway and was considered one of the nation's top heptathletes in the 1990s. With that kind of athletic DNA, it's no wonder Erling is an absolute beast. It's also part of Norwegian tradition for individuals to take both the father's and mother's surnames, which is why you see "Erling Braut Haaland" on his jersey, a shout-out to both his athletic parents. So, here we are, watching Erling Haaland dominate the World Cup quarterfinals. His otherworldly scoring is driving Norway forward. You just know his dad, the former pro who wanted a golfer, and his champ heptathlete mom, Gry, are probably stoked beyond belief watching him tear it up. What a family, what a player, and what a run for Norway!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.