One of the first things that stands out about Norway star Erling Haaland is his signature ponytail, something that used to be true of legendary Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimović. With Ibrahimović now playing the role of a mentor for this generation of strikers, he’s offered some sound advice to Haaland.
“Zlatan, you know what he told me? ‘Never cut your hair because the strength is in the hair,'” Haaland said during a game of table tennis on Monday’s “After Hours with James Corden.” “What can I do? I have to listen to him, no?”
Ibrahimović confirmed the story following Norway’s win over the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, and he explained that it came from his personal experience with his ponytail.
“I truly believed that when I was playing,” Ibrahimović, a 13-time title-winner in Europe said. “When things were going well, I had my ponytail.
“I remember when Haaland showed up on the big stage, we had the same agent, who unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago. I saw him with his long ponytail, and my agent was telling me, ‘Listen, I saw Zlatan in him,’ and I said, ‘You keep that hair because that hair is going to take you where you want to go.'”
Whether it’s the ponytail or not, Haaland is delivering on the biggest stage. The star striker helped Norway win its first-ever World Cup knockout stage match on Tuesday, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 86th minute against the Ivory Coast to send the country to the round of 16; Haaland has scored five goals in the 2026 World Cup, scoring two goals against both Iraq and Senegal in the group stage; he didn’t play in Norway’s June 26 loss to France.
Erling Haaland Delivers Late Go-Ahead Goal for Norway Against Ivory Coast | 2026 FIFA World Cup™
Outside of starring for Norway, Haaland is coming off his fourth season playing for Manchester City in the Premier League, winning a championship in each of his first two seasons with the club (2022-23 and 2023-24). Over Haaland’s four-year stint with Manchester City, he has averaged 28 goals and six assists per season.
Next up for Haaland and Norway in the World Cup is a showdown against Brazil in the round of 16 on July 5.
Ivory Coast vs Norway Extended Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32
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