The clip is barely 20 seconds long. Haaland walks up to a stranger on holiday, wishes the man’s dad a happy birthday, then disappears out of shot. TikTok user smarieday posted it with the caption “Not him coming up to my dad… Made his whole year,” and by the last week of July the video had raced around football social media, as HITC first flagged.

The comment section stuck a particular label to the Norway striker.

“King-type energy on display here! Haaland just seems like a genuinely great guy,” one reply read.

Another wrote: “Always called him ‘people princess’ as a joke, but I don’t think it’s a joke anymore.”

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That is one side of Haaland’s summer. The other is that he arrives back at Manchester City’s training ground on Wednesday having just been the most talked-about striker at the 2026 World Cup.

Seven goals, then extra time in Miami

Haaland scored seven times in five matches on Norway’s first World Cup run in a generation. His brace against Brazil in the last 16 sent Norway into a quarter-final for the first time.

Then came Miami. Norway lost 2-1 after extra time to England on 11 July, Jude Bellingham scoring twice, and Haaland flew out on his post-tournament break.

First session under Maresca

Wednesday will be his first day at City under Enzo Maresca, appointed on a three-year deal at the end of June as Pep Guardiola’s successor. Players who went deep at the World Cup are due to report tomorrow.

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That gives Maresca four days with his No. 9 on the grass before the FA Community Shield against Arsenal at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Sunday. Kick-off is at 3pm local time. The fixture has been moved to Wales for the first time in 20 years because Wembley is booked for pre-planned concerts.

Arsenal arrive as champions

Arsenal show up as the reigning Premier League champions, a title they wrapped up in May with a match to spare after 22 years of waiting, and after finishing seven points clear of City.

Haaland scored 27 league goals last season. Whether he starts on Sunday is Maresca’s first big call, and it comes before City open the Premier League campaign at Bournemouth on 23 August.

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