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What does Erling Haaland eat? Viral Norway star's 6,000-calorie diet explained
From a viral clip of him charging at defenders to admitting he ignored Tom Holland's invitation, Erling Haaland has been making headlines for more than just football
- PUBLISHED: Tue 30 Jun 2026, 12:36 PM UPDATED: Tue 30 Jun 2026, 12:51 PM
Erling Haaland has gone viral for multiple reasons in recent weeks, with fans obsessing over the way he targets defenders on the pitch.
Clips from Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq have been circulating, especially one in which the cameras zoom in on the 193 cm striker sprinting at up to 36.2 km/h toward Iraq's defenders. Rather than mocking Iraq, fans praised them for even standing their ground.
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Comments flooded Instagram, including:
"Nobody's clowning Iraq. No amount of glory could keep me on the field if I saw Haaland running towards me like that. Genuinely admire the Iraq team's willpower."
"Who would stop Haaland if even the world's best defenders can't keep up with him? Fair play to Iraq. They played against Erling Haaland and still scored. End of story"
"Imagine a 6'4' Viking charging at you like he just spotted a moose, i'm leaving the ball and running straight to the locker room"
Alongside the jokes, an older clip resurfaced from Manchester City's 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham United, where Haaland accidentally caught Konstantinos Mavropanos in the face during the match.
The clip reignited discussions about his incredible strength, with many asking, "What does he eat?"
The answer lies in the famously strict diet he follows.
Haaland has a 6,000 calorie a day meal plan. His diet includes organ meat, eggs, sourdough bread, raw honey, milk, kebabs, and massive tomahawk steaks.
He has emphasised that "Food quality matters more than labels."
Norway's national team brought 580 kilograms of food to its World Cup qualifiers to maintain consistency in the players' diets and provide a taste of home.
But fans turned it into a joke:
"The food isn't for the team, it's for Haaland so he doesn't feast on the players."
His lifestyle extends well beyond food. Haaland's daily routine usually includes ice baths, sauna sessions, light therapy, and personalized physiotherapy.
He has said these habits are essential for coping with the demands of football.
Off the pitch, Haaland has also been entertaining fans with his social media posts. One of his latest viral moments showed the Manchester City striker being briefly startled by his own reflection in a mirror while eating.
The clip quickly sparked a wave of memes, with fans joking that even Haaland wasn't prepared to come face-to-face with... Erling Haaland.
Haaland also went viral this week after revealing that he had accidentally ignored an invitation from actor Tom Holland.
Speaking about the incident, Haaland admitted:
"Tom Holland DM'd me and invited me for dinner during Formula 1 in Monaco. I didn't bother answering because I had no idea who he was. I didn't want to reply to a random unknown person."
He explained that he doesn't watch many movies, so he simply didn't recognise the Hollywood star. Realising his mistake later, Haaland added:
"I think I'll have to send him a message now."
From terrifying defenders to going viral off the pitch, fans have joked that "Haaland seems to be popping off everywhere" and judging by the past few weeks, they're not wrong.
Mariam Alrashdi is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter at Khaleej Times, with a focus on local trends, Emirati culture, and the arts.