She sent him the first message. That's the part Haaland himself confirmed — and it's a better origin story than most footballers get.
Erling Haaland and Isabel Haugseng Johansen have been together since 2021, but the roots go much deeper than that. They both grew up in Bryne, a small town in southwestern Norway, played football together as kids at the same club, then reconnected as adults when Isabel — by Haaland's own admission — made the move first.
"She sent me a message," Haaland told NRK. "She played for the same club I played for, Bryne. So she checked me out, I didn't check her out."
From the youth team to the World Cup stands
Isabel was a footballer herself before stepping away from the game and building a career as a fashion influencer and content creator. She landed her first magazine cover for Norway's KK magazine and is an ambassador for jewellery brand Langgaard. In a March 2026 interview with MinMote, she credited motherhood with reshaping her relationship with fashion: "I don't want to wear anything too uncomfortable because I have to be able to run after him."
That "him" is their son, born in December 2024 — two months after Haaland announced the pregnancy with a typically low-key social media post in October. The couple has kept the boy's name private.
Haaland, who turns 26 on July 21, 2026, has been open about the effect fatherhood has had on his game. "I've never felt better than now," he told Sky Sports. "With a kid, it makes me even better because I actually disconnect more than ever. When I go home, I relax even more." He followed that up with a shout-out to his son on air — which, for a man who rarely gives much away publicly, says plenty.
What it looks like right now
Isabel has been visible in the World Cup stands throughout Norway's run — a campaign that has seen Haaland score in every group stage match and help the nation reach the knockout stage for the first time in nearly 28 years. She was pictured with Haaland and family after their last-16 win over Brazil on July 5.
Age-wise, Isabel is reported to be somewhere between 22 and 25 — nothing confirmed officially. Haaland is 25. They've been together five years. Their son is seven months old. And if Norway keep winning, she'll be in those stands for a while yet.
