Erling Haaland has publicly honoured King Harald V of Norway following the monarch's death on Friday morning. The Manchester City striker posted a tribute on Instagram the same day.
King Harald V died at the age of 89 after the Palace confirmed on Thursday that his condition had become extremely serious. The area around the Royal Palace in Oslo was crowded with mourners leaving flowers and candles on Friday. The monarch, who has been referred to as the 'grandfather of Norway', was on the throne for more than three decades.
Haaland's tribute contained the following words in both Norwegian and English: "Rest in peace, King Harald. Thank you for everything you meant to Norway. It was an honour to meet you." This is a direct quote from the player.
The meeting Haaland refers to took place in July this year. It was a private reception at the Palace in Oslo held to celebrate the Norwegian national team's historic World Cup run. During the reception, Haaland shook hands with the King. He also spent time with the rest of the royal family, including now-King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra actually travelled to the United States to support the Norwegian team during the World Cup finals this summer. This shows the personal connection between the monarchy and the national football team.
After Norway was knocked out in the quarter-finals, the team returned to a massive homecoming celebration. More than 90,000 supporters gathered in Palace Square to welcome the team home after their first World Cup appearance since 1998. The celebration followed a strong World Cup campaign where Norway finished second in their group with six points from three games. They scored eight goals and conceded seven, giving them a goal difference of plus one.
The national team has an important match on the horizon. They face neighbours Denmark at home on September 24th. This is a key match to bounce back after two consecutive losses.
Norway's last result was a 1-2 defeat to England on July 11th, which ended their World Cup dream. The team's last five matches show a form of three wins and two losses. They have lost the last two.
In a time of national mourning, all of Norwegian football remembers a monarch who showed genuine interest in sport. King Harald's support for the national team, both through visits to the USA and the reception at home, made a lasting impression on the players. For a player like Erling Haaland, who represents Norway on the world stage, the meeting at the Palace was a moment that now carries deeper significance.
The national team's focus must now shift back to the pitch and preparations for the match against Denmark. With six points from their first three World Cup games this summer, the team has shown its qualities. The task now is to build on that foundation.
