Short answer: Erling Haaland has not taken a political position on Israel. As of August 2026, he is alive and remains one of the top strikers in the world, playing for Manchester City and starring for Norway's national team. On the field, he has scored against Israel's national team more than once, including a hat trick in a 5-0 Norway win in October 2025. Off the field, amid a Norwegian debate over whether Israel should be banned from UEFA competition, Haaland explicitly declined to take a side, saying it was not his place as a footballer to weigh in. Separately, in April 2025 he made a personal, non-political gesture: a surprise video call with Omer Shem Tov, a freed Israeli hostage and self-described fan.
What Erling Haaland has actually said and done
November 2023: Weeks after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Haaland posted an Instagram photo of himself with two young stadium mascots captioned "No innocent child deserves to die." It was a general humanitarian statement that did not name Israel or take a political side, according to J-Wire.
March 25, 2025: Ahead of and after Norway's 4-2 away win over Israel in World Cup qualifying, in which Haaland scored in the 83rd minute, the Norwegian football federation's president, Lise Klaveness, was among those pressing for Israel's suspension from UEFA competitions. Captain Martin Odegaard said of the war, "This is a background you can't ignore. It's terrible for everyone. But we have to deal with the fact that UEFA decided the match would go ahead." Asked for his own view, Haaland declined to take a position, telling reporters: "I don't think I, as a footballer, should talk about it. There are others who should decide what to do and where they stand," as reported by The Jewish Chronicle.
April 16, 2025: Haaland made a surprise video call to Omer Shem Tov, an Israeli who had been freed on February 22, 2025 after 505 days as a Hamas hostage (he was abducted from the Nova festival on October 7, 2023) and who describes himself as a longtime Haaland fan. Shem Tov posted the call to Instagram to thank Haaland; the exchange was personal and did not touch on politics, as covered by The Times of Israel.
October 11, 2025: Norway beat Israel 5-0 in Oslo in a World Cup qualifier, with Haaland scoring a hat trick after having two penalties saved. The match took place amid pro-Palestinian protests outside the stadium, and Haaland made no political comment about Israel before or after the game, per Al Jazeera.
October 2025: A viral clip circulated on social media claiming to show Haaland congratulating an Israeli soldier on killing Palestinians. Fact-checkers established that this was a mislabeled or fabricated video and that no such statement by Haaland exists, according to The Express Tribune and Misbar.
July 11, 2026: Norway reached the World Cup quarterfinals, where they lost 2-1 to England in extra time. Haaland had scored seven goals earlier in the tournament. Israel did not qualify, per NPR.
The bigger picture
Haaland is a Norwegian striker for Manchester City and Norway's national team, where he is the country's leading goal scorer in all but formal title. Norway and Israel have played each other repeatedly during 2026 World Cup qualifying, a group that drew extra attention because of Norway's vocal domestic debate over Israel's participation in international football during the Gaza war. Norway's football federation president, Lise Klaveness, was among the voices backing Israel's suspension from UEFA competitions, similar to the ban imposed on Russia, and players were repeatedly asked about it. Haaland consistently declined to take that position, framing the question as one for football and political authorities rather than players. He has never announced a boycott of matches against Israel, has played and scored freely against Israel's team on multiple occasions in 2025, and made a warm personal gesture toward a freed Israeli hostage that April, one that Israeli and Jewish outlets reported positively. There is no evidence of any brand partnerships with Israeli companies, event appearances in Israel, or donations to Israeli causes. A quote circulated widely on social media after the October 2025 win, in which Haaland supposedly celebrated beating "that team whose name I don't even want to mention," is fabricated. The fact-checking outlet Misbar reviewed his verified accounts, Norwegian federation releases, and international match coverage and found no record of him saying it.
The bottom line
Haaland does not publicly support or oppose Israel. He has deliberately stayed out of the political debate even when his own national teammates pushed for Israel's expulsion from European football, while treating individual Israelis, such as freed hostage Omer Shem Tov, with personal warmth. On the pitch he has played and scored against Israel's team without incident or protest. The fairest characterization is neutral but not hostile: no boycott, no donations, no advocacy, paired with one notable humanizing gesture toward an Israeli.
Wear your own answer
Athletes come and go on where they stand, but plenty of fans want their own position to be unmistakable. If you're looking to make that statement in your own wardrobe, our I Stand With Israel bracelet is a simple, everyday way to do it.
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
