Behind every great footballer stands a family that helped shape the player the world sees today. The Erling Haaland family is a remarkable example of athletic heritage, discipline, and unconditional support. Born on 21 July 2000 in Leeds, England, Erling Braut Haaland grew up surrounded by sporting excellence on both sides of his family tree.
The Erling Haaland father is a former Premier League footballer, and his mother was a decorated national athlete. Together, the Norwegian's parents created an environment where ambition, hard work, and love of sport were simply a way of life. This article explores the people who made the Manchester City striker who he is today.
Who Are Erling Haaland Parents?
Erling Haaland parents are Alf-Inge "Alfie" Haaland and Gry Marita Braut. Both are elite athletes from Bryne, a small town in Norway, and both have played a defining role in Erling's journey to becoming one of the greatest strikers of his generation.
Although they divorced when Erling was young, they have each remained a constant, loving presence in his life and career. Their shared sporting DNA and unwavering belief in their son provided a foundation that few footballers are fortunate enough to have.
Erling Haaland Dad
Erling Haaland father, Alf-Inge Rasdal Haaland, who is widely known as Alfie, was a professional footballer who played as a midfielder and right-back in the Premier League. The Erling Haaland dad represented Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, and Manchester City throughout his career, earning 34 caps for Norway. Alfie's knowledge of professional football gave Erling a rare insider perspective from childhood, and Erling's early years in Leeds were spent breathing the game that his father played.
Erling Haaland father once said of his son, "In a lot of things, he's a lot better than me already." Sadly, a career-altering knee injury caused by Roy Keane forced Alfie into early retirement in 2003, but his passion for the sport was passed down fully intact to his youngest son.
Erling Haaland Mother
Erling Haaland mother, Gry Marita Braut, is a former Norwegian heptathlete who once claimed the national championship title in the event. The heptathlon demands mastery across seven gruelling track and field disciplines, from the 100m hurdles to the javelin, and Gry Marita excelled in all of them. It was in England, while Alfie was playing for Nottingham Forest in the mid-1990s, that Erling Haaland mother met his father.
Her athletic discipline, competitive drive, and physical resilience clearly filtered through to Erling, who, at just five years old, reportedly set a world standing long jump record for his age group, and is now one of the best players in the world currently. Haaland's mother has consistently supported her son from the sidelines, quietly but proudly watching him scale the heights of world football.