In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Haaland spoke about his feelings on participating in the FIFA World Cup for the first time.
The Grandover Resort & Spa recently completed renovations, and guests visiting Greensboro can now relax in a more luxurious environment, play a round of golf, spend an afternoon at the spa, or even visit the hotel's art gallery.
However, on Thursday afternoon, it would have been entirely understandable if a newly arrived guest's mind had wandered beyond North Carolina. He was thinking of Mexico City and Soccer City.
For Haaland, Mexico's 2-0 victory over South Africa held special significance. On the one hand, the match marked the start of his first FIFA World Cup as a professional and began the countdown to Norway's first major tournament match in nearly 30 years.
But Mexico vs. South Africa was also where it all began. When the 2010 FIFA World Cup opened amid the clamor of Johannesburg, Haaland was only 9 years old. That 1-1 draw, and that goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala, marked the first FIFA World Cup moment that left a deep impression on him.
Haaland told Daily Mail Sport: "We all have these memories, right?" By the end of that summer, Haaland, now 25, had been captivated by the tiki-taka football that helped Spain win the championship. Since then, his love for the FIFA World Cup has been sustained by players such as James Rodríguez and Miroslav Klose.
Haaland said: "For me, the situation might be a bit different because Norway is not in the FIFA World Cup. So, you watch all the games."
Norway and Man City forward Haaland will participate in the FIFA World Cup for the first time this summer. He said: "I grew up like any other fan, watching it on TV at home with friends and family. It’s different now because I’ll be there."
Klose remains the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading scorer, with 16 goals across 4 tournaments. This summer, Haaland will finally begin his pursuit of that record, starting with the opening match against Iraq in Boston on Tuesday.
The Man City star said: "I can't wait." He is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, but before this summer, Norway had not qualified for the FIFA World Cup since 1998. Norway's last major tournament appearance came at the UEFA European Championship in 2000, which ended a few weeks before Haaland was born. Haaland has never even watched a FIFA World Cup match live.
Haaland said: "This will be my first real FIFA World Cup experience. It feels amazing, and it's something I've thought about for a long time... I grew up like any other fan, watching it on TV at home with friends and family. It's different now because I'll be there, part of it. This is what you dream of."
After years of waiting and longing, Norway is finally back, and many believe Ståle Solbakken's team could spring some surprises this summer. In addition to Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, the Norway squad also features Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer, Crystal Palace forward Jørgen Strand Larsen, and Haaland's former Man City teammate Oscar Bobb. For a country of 5.5 million people, it is an impressive lineup.
Haaland said: "We have a very good group of players who have grown up together, so we know each other very well and enjoy playing together. This is important."
Norway is in a rather difficult group with Iraq, Senegal, and France. Haaland admitted: "It won’t be easy. But we have to believe we can get out of the group, and then we’ll see what happens. One step at a time."
The past few weeks have shown that no matter how far Norway go, they will not be boring. Their preparations have been quite unique. Before flying to North America, Haaland, Ødegaard, and the rest of the squad went to a private beach in Oslo for a team photo. The entire Norwegian team dressed as Vikings, holding swords, shields, bows, and horns.
Haaland and his teammates dressed as Vikings for a photo shoot ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The entire Norwegian team gathered on a private beach in Oslo with swords, shields, bows, and horns.
The excitement continued as Haaland starred in a Nike commercial, with Channing Tatum playing his "body double."
Afterwards, Solbakken criticized Scotland for canceling a training match at the last minute.
Fortunately, Iraq will have nowhere to hide on Tuesday, as Haaland leads Norway in a FIFA World Cup match for the first time.
The striker has just completed another long season in the high-pressure environment of the Premier League, shouldering the goal-scoring burden for Man City. Now, he will carry the expectations of an entire nation on the biggest stage.
The 25-year-old Haaland insisted: "Of course there's pressure, but I like it." The data seems to support his claim: since 2019, Haaland has played 50 times for Norway, scoring 55 goals.
He said: "We haven't been to the FIFA World Cup for a long time, so having the opportunity to represent the country at the FIFA World Cup is very special. That's what players want. People have expectations of us, of me, which is normal. I just focus on my job and try to perform."
Haaland has become Norway's all-time leading scorer, surpassing the combined goal tally of Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Tore André Flo. The previous record of 33 goals, held by Jørgen Juve, had stood unbroken since 1937. In FIFA World Cup qualifiers alone, Haaland has scored 16 goals, helping Solbakken's team win all 8 matches.
Across Europe, no player, including Harry Kane, has scored more than 8 goals in World Cup qualifiers. Haaland could have been a national teammate of Harry Kane, having been born in Yorkshire shortly after his father, Alf-Inge, moved from Leeds United to Man City.
But the Haaland family moved back to Norway a few years later, and his allegiance to Norway has never wavered, despite the national team repeatedly missing out on major tournaments, his long stay in England with his father, and his later move to Man City.
Haaland often returns to Bryne, the town where he grew up, and has even joked about possibly going into agriculture in the future. It is reported that this summer, the Norwegian team brought 300kg of redfish and 116kg of brown cheese to the United States to ensure the players eat well during this "group of death."
The fate of Solbakken's team will largely depend on Haaland's finishing ability and Ødegaard's creativity. The pair have just completed another Premier League season at opposite ends of the title race, with Guardiola unusually having to settle for runner-up.
Speaking about Guardiola, Haaland said: "Look at his record, it's not normal. At Barcelona, at Bayern, at Man City, his team's playing style, records, and trophies are all there. But for me, it's also the way he works every day. Those details, the way he improves players. He makes everyone better. That's the most important thing."
It remains to be seen where Guardiola will go next, but he has visited New York during his vacation to experience the local sports atmosphere, so a future move to the US cannot be ruled out.
Haaland said: "You can see how popular sports are in the US. When Man City and I came here, the welcome was incredible. The stadiums, the fans, the facilities—everything is on a grand scale. It's a great place to play."
To prove it, Haaland and his Norwegian teammates attended a Stanley Cup game on Thursday night, cheering for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Vegas Golden Knights in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The football superstar finally arriving on the FIFA World Cup stage is also good for the tournament itself, even though the Haaland family's FIFA World Cup experience in the United States was not a pleasant one. In 1994, his father was part of the Norwegian team that finished last in Group E, despite all four teams in the group having the same number of points.
Alf-Inge missed the last match due to suspension, so he could only watch from the stands in East Rutherford, where the final of this FIFA World Cup will be held in a few weeks.
Fortunately, his son does not remember that experience. MetLife Stadium has replaced the old Giants Stadium, and now it is finally time for Haaland to create his own FIFA World Cup memories.