Norwegian football player Erling Holand. Biography

Erling Holand is a Norwegian football player, striker for the English club Manchester City and the Norwegian national team. Holland scored a double in the 1/8 finals of the 2026 World Cup against Brazil and led the team to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in history. About the life and career of a football player — in the material of Izvestia.

Childhood and the first steps in sports

Erling Holand was born on July 21, 2000 in Leeds, England, where his father Alf-Inge Holand, a former Norwegian national football team player, was playing at the time. A few years later, the family returned to their homeland and settled in the city of Brune.

It was there that Holand started playing football at the academy of the local club Brunet. Even as a child, he was distinguished by his physical abilities, speed and high performance.

The beginning of a professional career

In 2017, Holand made his debut for the Brune main team, after which he moved to Molde, where he played under the guidance of former Norwegian national team striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In 2019, the footballer signed a contract with the Austrian Red Bull Salzburg. He made his Champions League debut for the club, scoring a hat-trick in his first match of the tournament.

Career in Europe

In January 2020, Holand joined Borussia Dortmund, where he quickly became one of the team's leaders. He won the German Cup for the German club and became one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga.

In the summer of 2022, the footballer became a player of the English Manchester City. Already in his debut season, he helped the club to form the treble, winning the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League. Holland has repeatedly become the top scorer of the English Premier League and set performance records.

The Norwegian national team

Erling Holand made his debut for the Norwegian national team in 2019. Almost immediately, he established himself as the main striker of the team and became its key player. Thanks to his high performance, the striker became the best scorer in the history of the Norwegian national team, surpassing the national record in just a few years of performances.

Holand played an important role in Norway's successful performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament, becoming the top scorer of qualification in the European zone with 16 goals scored. At the world championships in the USA, Canada and Mexico, he continued to demonstrate high performance, helped the national team reach the World Cup playoffs for the first time since 1998, and then played a key role in the historic transition of the national team to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The Norwegian national team at the 2026 World Cup: the path to the World Cup, the main characters and historical records

Awards and achievements

Over the years of his professional career, Erling Holand has won many team and individual awards. As a member of Manchester City, he won the English Premier League, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. Previously, the striker won the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund, and the Austrian championship and Cup with Red Bull Salzburg.

Holland has repeatedly become the top scorer of the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, and was also recognized as the best player of the season in the Premier League. In his debut English championship, he set a tournament record for the most goals in a single season, scoring 36 goals. In addition, the striker is the best scorer in the history of the Norwegian national team and the winner of several national and international individual awards.

Personal life

Erling Holand is known for his calm and reserved nature outside the football field. Despite his status as one of the main stars of world football, he rarely finds himself at the center of scandals and prefers to focus on the game and professional development. Teammates and coaches have repeatedly noted his hard work, discipline and commitment to constantly improve his skills.

When communicating with fans and journalists, Holland often demonstrates a sense of humor and self-irony, but he tries not to flaunt his personal life. The footballer himself has repeatedly stressed that the main source of motivation for him remains the desire to win, score goals and help the team achieve new successes.