Manchester City striker Erling Haaland revealed that he is open to the possibility of moving to MLS in the future.
The Premier League’s Nordic goal-gobbler is one of the best strikers on the planet. During what many considered to be a distinct sub-par season, Haaland finished the 2024–25 campaign with 22 league goals, more than any other player born in the 21st century across Europe’s top five divisions.
City are in little doubt about their talisman’s talents, tying him down to a record-shattering contract which doesn’t expire until 2034. By then, Haaland will still only be 34, four years younger than MLS’s current franchise figurehead Lionel Messi.
When discussing the prospect of following in the footsteps of the Inter Miami captain and fellow trailblazer David Beckham, Haaland left the door wide open. “You never know what the future is going to bring,” he told Time magazine. “What Messi is doing now is incredible. Also what Beckham did, it’s amazing.”
The Norway international was treated to a first-hand view of American soccer fandom during this summer’s Club World Cup. City were based in Miami for the tournament which abruptly ended with a last-16 defeat to Al Hilal. Despite the early exit, Haaland took some positives from his visit. “I didn’t know I was famous in the U.S.,” he admitted. “Everyone knows who I am.”
Haaland’s fame would only swell if he joined the nation’s top flight. Yet, his freshly inked City contract prevents any move in the near future.
It is unusual for a player of Haaland’s age and quality to tie themselves to a club for such an extended period of time. Yet, for the 25-year-old, it felt “really normal for me to do”. “They have so much trust in me,” he explained. “[I] got the good feeling inside my body.”
That faith runs both ways. Manchester City are infamously in the midst of an ongoing legal battle with the Premier League regarding hundreds of alleged breaches of the division’s financial regulations. Should the club be found guilty of the most serious offences, they face any number of severe punishments, including multiple relegations. City have always strongly protested their complete innocence.
Haaland admitted the verdict—which is expected at some point in October—was a topic of conversation before he signed. “I spoke with the bosses,” he revealed, “and in the end, I believe them. It’s such a tricky situation for me to even sit there and speak about, because I wasn’t really involved in it. So I think the club knows what they’re doing. They will sort it out.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Incredible, Amazing’—Erling Haaland Teases Future MLS Transfer.
