Soccer fans in China are rooting for Norway’s Erling Haaland, their ‘Ha Bao’

World CupSoccer fans in China are rooting for Norway’s Erling Haaland, their ‘Ha Bao’ The Manchester City star is a social media sensation in China, where he is gaining millions of followers and starring in viral ad campaigns.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland has developed a fan base in China larger than the population of Norway.Julian Finney / FIFA via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 9, 2026, 5:59 AM EDTBy Dawn Liu, Erin Tan and Janis Mackey FrayerBEIJING — There may not be any Chinese players at this year’s World Cup, but China has found its own soccer hero: Norwegian striker Erling Haaland.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The 6-foot-4 Manchester City star is a sensation on Chinese social media, where fans affectionately refer to him as “Ha Bao,” which translates to “Baby Ha.” “I never thought I’d end up liking another footballer after Cristiano Ronaldo,” Gum Li, a 34-year-old from Guangdong province, told NBC News via a messaging app on Wednesday. “But he won me over after I watched a lot of social media videos of Haaland playing for Manchester City, as well as videos of his funny moments off the pitch.”01:21Team USA crashes out of the World Cup after Belgium loss00:0000:00Chinese social media users have turned Haaland’s exaggerated facial expressions into a vault of viral memes, comparing him to the cat from the U.S. cartoon “Tom and Jerry.” Clips of Haaland sprinting across the pitch in his distinctive, forward-leaning style have also become wildly popular.Others have shared memes comparing Haaland’s long blond hair with that of celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, saying he has changed the way they think about “blond beauty.” Since launching his official account on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, just over a month ago, Haaland has amassed 5.8 million followers, more than the population of Norway.In English- and Chinese-languag...