"Chess sharpens your mind — you have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead." Erling Haaland said that about chess. He might as well have been describing himself.
While Norway prepares to face England in the World Cup quarterfinals — the furthest the country has ever gone in a men's tournament — the 25-year-old striker is doing what he always does: operating on multiple levels simultaneously. He's the most dangerous forward at this World Cup. He's also, quietly, becoming one of football's more serious off-pitch operators.
The business of being Haaland
His Luxembourg-based investment company, Pillage, spans finance, technology, and real estate. In March 2026, he made an angel investment in Norway Chess and co-founded Chess Mates alongside Norwegian businessman Morten Borge — a venture built around competitive chess events, including the Total Chess World Championship with a minimum prize pool of $2.7 million.
He holds equity in recovery-tech company Hyperice and Scandinavian luggage brand Db. He owns a minority stake in Bon Dep, the Norwegian company behind hair tie brand KKNEKKI — which he wears during matches and has actively helped make viral. The man earns an estimated $60 million per year on the pitch, according to Forbes, and appears to be doing everything right with what comes in.
The property portfolio tells you how serious this is: a $7 million mansion in Marbella, a $3.5 million Oslo apartment, and a 10-bedroom house in Cheshire worth over $8 million. Add a collection of Hermès Birkin bags and cars from Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, and the picture becomes clear — this isn't an athlete casually lending his name to brands. This is someone building long-term wealth with intent.
He's also set to voice an animated Viking warrior named "Haaland" in Viqueens, an adventure-comedy directed by Harald Zwart — the man behind The Karate Kid remake. Whether or not that turns into anything, it fits the brand he's constructing: Norwegian, relentless, slightly larger than life.
What's actually happening on the pitch
None of the off-pitch noise matters if Norway go out in the quarters. But that's the thing — they probably won't, and Haaland is the main reason why.
He's scored over 300 career goals for club and country. Since joining Manchester City in 2022, he's won multiple Premier League titles, a Champions League, broken the Premier League single-season scoring record, and taken home the European Golden Shoe. The nickname "The Terminator" isn't creative writing — it's just accurate. He doesn't miss opportunities that other forwards leave on the table.
- Norway have never reached a men's World Cup semifinal
- Haaland is the son of former Premier League midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland
- He broke into senior football with Red Bull Salzburg in 2019, then Dortmund, then City
England will be heavy favourites in the quarter-final, and Norway's odds to go all the way reflect that. But Haaland changes the calculus any time he's on the pitch. One chance, one moment of stillness in the box — and the scoreline looks completely different. That's the threat England's defence has to manage.
Norway have never been here before. Haaland has been here his entire career.
