Erling Haaland has become one of the biggest stars in world soccer. The Norway star currently making his mark on the World Cup is known for an extraordinary goal-scoring ability, imposing 6-foot-5 frame, silly social media personality — and a seemingly endless appetite.
The Manchester City striker has been reported to consume around 6,000 calories every day during periods of intense training and competition. Much of that comes from simple, protein-rich meals sourced from some of his favorite farms, delis and butchers around Manchester.
I decided to find out what eating like a Viking is really like.
Our first stop was breakfast.
The order was straightforward but substantial: Four scrambled eggs, two thick slices of sourdough toast, a large bowl of Greek yogurt and berries and a black coffee with a splash of maple syrup.
It was plenty filling, but Haaland has also spoken about drinking raw milk, so I washed down the already substantial breakfast with a bottle of the rich, creamy beverage.
By lunchtime, I was already questioning my life choices. But the mission was just beginning.
We headed to Haaland’s favorite Italian deli, Ad Maiora, where they’ve even named a sandwich after him.
Leigh Kiniry
“The Haaland” has Parma ham, burrata, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and truffle oil, all stuffed into a fresh flatbread that’s about a foot long.
The struggle was real.
But dinner was still looming, and causing the most anxiety. Haaland loves a large steak.
We visited the local butcher in Cheshire, an area outside Manchester where a number of famous footballers live. At The Cheshire Smokehouse, Wayne the butcher told us Haaland stops by to purchase many of his steaks, as well as venison, because it’s naturally lean and lower in cholesterol.
But I wasn’t there to take the sensible option. If it was going to be the full Haaland experience, it had to be a giant steak.
That evening, we headed to the Hawksmoor steakhouse, where the huge slabs of beef are seared over charcoal. We were told Haaland regularly orders bone marrow as an accompaniment, so that’s how I kicked off the meal.
On an already full stomach, with no bread or wine to ease its path, the marrow almost proved to be my breaking point.
Then the steak arrived.
A beautifully charred, perfectly medium-rare porterhouse weighing an astonishing 2.6 pounds.
I gave it everything I had. But eventually, I had to admit defeat.
Leigh Kiniry
Eating like one of the world’s best soccer players is a lot harder than it looks. But then, I’m not a 25-year old professional athlete burning thousands of calories a day.
I’m a 30-something mom of three who tried to keep up with one, for just 24 hours.
The experience brought a new appreciation for the extraordinary physical demands on elite athletes. All that meat and no wine?!
Haaland has captivated fans around the world with his goals, his personality and his larger-than-life presence. Norway’s success thus far in the World Cup has shown a global audience that, whether it’s scoring goals or clearing dinner plates, few people can keep up with “The Striking Viking.”