Back in 2023, Erling Haaland was asked about playing in MLS. His answer was blunt: "I'm 23. I'm playing at Man City. I basically just came here." Fair enough then. But that quote is circulating again — and the context has shifted considerably.
Haaland just carried Norway to their first-ever World Cup quarter-final, scoring nine goals across five matches. Braces against Iraq, Senegal, and Brazil. A late winner to knock out Côte d'Ivoire. The 25-year-old didn't just perform well — he dominated the tournament's early rounds with a consistency that made him impossible to ignore, even for casual American sports fans who don't follow club football.
From the pitch to the internet
Off the field, Haaland was everywhere. Attempting a Southern drawl. Dressing as a cowboy in Dallas. Trying deli food in New York. The clips went viral in a country that barely knew his name six weeks ago. He didn't just play the World Cup — he charmed his way through the host nation, and America noticed.
The most tangible proof? Wild Bill's Western Store in Dallas received over 2,000 online orders after Haaland posted himself landing back in Norway carrying a taxidermied raccoon holding a whiskey bottle and two taxidermied squirrels — one dressed as a sheriff, the other mid-swig on a Budweiser. Thirty percent of orders came from international buyers. The store didn't even offer international shipping before his visit.
That's the Haaland effect in a country that runs on personality and marketing.
The MLS question won't go away
He's admitted he's grown fond of American culture during this tournament, which is a softer position than the 2023 brush-off. He's also 25 now, not 23 — still young, but closer to the age where elite players start getting asked these questions seriously rather than hypothetically.
The MLS angle matters for anyone watching his contract situation at City. If his affection for the US has genuinely grown, a move stateside late in his career becomes a real conversation, not a fantasy. Clubs tracking his availability long-term — and the market around those conversations — should file that away.
For now, he's back in Norway on holiday, expected to return to pre-season with Manchester City next month. Nine World Cup goals and a raccoon souvenir. Not a bad summer.
