Norwegian Ambassador to China Vebjørn Dysvik poses for a photo with a soccer ball after an exclusive interview with the Global Times at the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing on July 10, 2026. Photo: Chen Tao/GT

For years, Norwegian salmon was one of the first things many Chinese people associated with Norway. But as Erling Haaland and the Norwegian national team gain global attention at the World Cup, football adds to a new dimension to China-Norway ties. With his phenomenal popularity among Chinese fans, Haaland is boosting people-to-people exchanges.

"Before, when I traveled around China, the first thing everybody said about Norway was salmon, because we are very famous for Norwegian salmon," Norwegian Ambassador to China Vebjørn Dysvik told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Friday. "We still are, but now we are also famous because of Norwegian footballers."

"Even before the World Cup, Norwegian footballers, Haaland of course being maybe the most prominent, but also other players such as Martin Ødegaard, who plays for Arsenal, and several of the other Norwegian players, have become quite famous in China," he said.

Haaland's popularity has also extended beyond football. His collaborations with Chinese brands have helped him become more visible among Chinese consumers. As a brand ambassador for the Norwegian Seafood Council, Haaland has drawn attention from Chinese consumers, with many users on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, or the RedNote, sharing photos of Haaland-themed displays at salmon counters and others asking about the campaign's availability and which supermarkets featured the displays for photo opportunities.

According to the latest data from the RedNote, during the World Cup, views of Haaland-related topics on that platform has surged by 220 million in a short period, with total views reaching as high as 960 million at one point. By comparison, French soccer player Kylian Mbappé-related topics saw an increase of 50 million views during the same period.

The popularity of Haaland and the national team shows how sports can create connections that go beyond traditional diplomacy.

"It's important to remember that some of the most important 'ambassadors' from Norway are not actual ambassadors," Dysvik said. "Sports profiles and cultural personalities also tell a story about our country."

"I think they open a door for communicating about our country, maybe to people who are difficult to reach through regular diplomats," he added.

For Dysvik, football provides a unique channel for people in China and Norway to understand each other.

"Sports is a global phenomenon. Football is a global sport, and now everybody is paying attention because of the World Cup," he said, noting that sports will always be an important bridge between people. "It's part of our culture, and a very important part, both in Norway and in China," he said.

The ambassador's own experience reflects this connection. A football fan since childhood, Dysvik is a season ticket holder at Beijing Guoan and regularly attends matches at the Workers' Stadium.

"I think it's partially because we live very close to the stadium, so I can walk over there to watch football," he said. "And I think Beijing probably has the most enthusiastic fans that I've seen... extremely enthusiastic."

"Football is also always fun to watch, especially when it's live," he said. "So I like football a lot, and I go as often as I can."

Beyond football, Dysvik stressed that China and Norway have many areas of cooperation, including trade, green development, marine industries and culture including sports.

"Our cooperation with China is very important," he said. "It's very clear that China plays a very important role for Norway in many fields," he said. "It's important for our economy, important for reaching global goals like combating climate change, and we cannot do it without China."

He said both sides have opportunities to deepen cooperation, particularly in the green transition. "Chinese companies play a very important part in our green transition," Dysvik said. "But we also see that Norwegian companies have competence that is relevant for China…there's a high degree of complementarity."

For Dysvik, the rise of Norwegian football in China offers another opportunity for people-to-people exchange.

"We see an increasing interest among Chinese people in going to Norway... I'm, of course, again biased. But if you want to visit maybe the most beautiful country in the world, it's a great place to go," the ambassador said.

"Come to Norway to see the fjords, to see the mountains... to see the midnight sun, and the northern lights," he said, indicating that there is also a lot more to see beyond sports.