Erling Haaland’s influence appears to have gone well beyond the football pitch, with the Manchester City striker reportedly helping trigger a surge in carrot sales across his native Norway.
Haaland became one of the biggest talking points of the World Cup, with his goalscoring, distinctive personality and growing social media presence attracting fans around the world.
The 26-year-old helped Norway reach the quarter-finals after scoring seven goals in six matches before their campaign ended against England.
But Haaland’s impact did not stop with his performances on the field. His interest in meditation, candid social media presence and distinctive lifestyle have also helped him build an enormous following, with his Instagram followers reportedly climbing from 40 million to 60 million during the tournament.
In Norway, the so-called ‘Haaland Effect’ has now extended to an unlikely area — carrots.
Carrot sales reportedly jumped by around 25% in recent weeks, with the increase linked to a promotional campaign featuring the football star.
Haaland has previously been seen eating carrots while signing autographs and has also featured in campaigns promoting the vegetable. During the World Cup, he appeared in advertisements across Norwegian television channels as part of a campaign by vegetable wholesaler Bama.
In one of the adverts, Haaland drives a truck while eating carrots before asking for more of the vegetable.
Norwegian nutrition adviser Iselin Sagen said carrot sales began showing a noticeable increase in July and remained strong in August.
“Sales increased in July and we have never seen records like this before. Sales were also very good in August,” she said.
Sagen said two factors coincided during July — Bama’s major Haaland campaign before Norway’s matches and supermarket promotions for carrots throughout the summer.
She acknowledged that it was impossible to prove Haaland alone caused the increase, but said his popularity made him an important figure in the campaign.
“I cannot prove that the increase was because of Haaland, but he is a huge idol in Norway and was at the centre of the campaign,” she said.
Haaland’s diet has previously attracted attention after he revealed that he consumes around 6,000 calories a day, including foods such as liver and heart, as well as cheat meals featuring kebab pizza.
Sagen believes his fondness for carrots could also be connected to his upbringing in Bryne, a small area in Rogaland surrounded by farmland.
“I truly believe Erling Haaland likes Norwegian vegetables. He grew up in an area with many farmers in Bryne, a small area in Rogaland,” she said.
Carrots are already among Norway’s most popular vegetables, according to Sagen. However, sales of carrots sold with their leafy tops attached had previously been relatively low before the Haaland campaign.
The impact was reflected in the figures. In July 2026, around 600 tonnes more carrots were sold than during the same month a year earlier.
Sagen said the increase was equivalent to roughly one or two additional carrots for every person in Norway — a country with a population of around 5.5 million.
From scoring goals to selling carrots, Haaland’s influence appears to be reaching far beyond the football pitch.
