Erling Haaland Photo: VCG

"Too heartbroken for Haaland" is one of several hashtags related to Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland now trending across Chinese social media after England's 2-1 comeback knocked Norway out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. 

Despite having bid farewell to his FIFA World Cup debut, Chinese netizens' love affair with Haaland shows no sign of fading. Using the hashtag "Too heartbreaking for Haaland" on Sina Weibo, many Chinese netizens' expressed sympathies for the player's restrained performance on the pitch - especially given that three of his Manchester City teammates, including John Stones, were on the England side and knew his play style and tricks all too well.

"My heart aches for Haaland! He hardly got a sniff of the ball all game," one fan wrote on Sina Weibo, adding, "The people who know you best are always the ones who hurt you most." 

Meanwhile, another hashtag topic of "Haaland brought off" is trending on Sina Weibo with nearly 9.8 million views, as Chinese fans rallied to send their support after the striker visibly struggled with exhaustion and a thigh injury on the pitch.

At the England-Norway game, Haaland's night went from bad to worse. First, a goal he helped create was ruled out by VAR after he shoved England's Elliot Anderson. Then, to add to the subplot, he and England's standout Jude Bellingham - who scored twice - were once Dortmund teammates. And just before extra time, Haaland was pulled off, leaving him helpless on the bench as his former colleague stole the show.

During a post-match interview, Haaland himself said he was not "surprised" by Bellingham's goals. According to the Xinhua News Agency, he described his World Cup journey as "possibly the best six weeks of my life" and revealed that he is planning to go on vacation next.

Under another trending hashtag, "Haaland bids farewell to the World Cup," which has been viewed by over 9.1 million people, Chinese netizens have been leaving comments recapping Haaland's seven goals scored during this World Cup. Some fans have even praised him as "a player of character and sporting spirit," and said he led Norway to create a "Viking glory too brilliant to forget." 

"This World Cup really made me fall for Ha Bao - a star with class, sincerity, and just the right amount of quirkiness. Norway has already made history, and Ha Bao's future will only be brighter," a netizen commented on Sina Weibo using Chinese fans' nickname for the athlete, "Ha Bao," which means "Baby Haaland." 

So far, "Ha Bao" has amassed over 2 million followers on Sina Weibo and around 6.7 million on Douyin. On Xiaohongshu, topics related to him have generated nearly 1.8 billion views. Whether it's Chinese netizens' remixed "Haaland Song" or the memes and GIFs capturing his signature forward-leaning sprint, the 195-centimeter-tall football sensation has become one of the most followed players by Chinese fans during this World Cup thanks to the striking contrast between his on-field dominance and off-field humor.

Just days before the World Cup kicked off, Haaland launched his official Douyin account and greeted Chinese fans in Chinese. At the same time, his partnerships with a Chinese herbal beverage brand has helped him build a "closer psychological rapport" with local audiences, marketing expert Huang Xinrui told the Global Times.

"This is not a whimsical stunt but a strategic move. For the brand, it fills an awareness gap in overseas markets via a global star. For Haaland, it tests his commercial value in China," Huang remarked. 

Alongside Haaland's rise in the Chinese market has been the close interaction between him and the Chinese internet community. Haaland not only embraced his Chinese nickname "Ha Bao" online, but also openly asked Chinese fans on social media for travel tips and must-try experiences in China. He went viral with a quirky video in which he looked to be "swallowing" the Chongqing monorail as it runs through a residential building. Most notably, after Norway's historic upset victory over Brazil, he posted five consecutive updates in Chinese to celebrate and engage with his fans.

"A football star like this makes me feel he's truly worth following. Like following a future football icon who genuinely wants to engage with Chinese fans," Yao Hongchen, a longtime Haaland fan, told the Global Times.