Erling Haaland Unveils New Haircut for Premier League Season

Erling Haaland has turned up for the new Premier League season with a new manager, a new era – and now, a new haircut.

The Manchester City striker unveiled a fresh look before Sunday’s opener against Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports, chopping off the long, tied-back hair that had become part of his on-pitch identity. In its place: a shorter style that instantly recalls his early days at Borussia Dortmund.

He didn’t keep the transformation quiet. On X, the 26-year-old posted a series of images charting the trim from start to finish, captioned simply: “New hair don't care.” The post dropped on Sunday morning, hours before he was due to lead the line at the Etihad.

The change comes after Haaland had previously suggested his long hair was staying put on the advice of another iconic Scandinavian forward. Speaking to Fox Sports in July, he revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s unusual guidance.

“Zlatan – you know what he told me? ‘Never cut your hair because the strength is in the hair,’” Haaland said at the time.

This weekend, he ignored the superstition.

The timing is symbolic. City are stepping into the post-Pep Guardiola era, with Enzo Maresca now in charge and preparing for his first Premier League match as head coach. The champions were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend, a jolt before the real business begins, but Maresca has backed his squad to react when the points are on the line.

Haaland remains the centrepiece of that reaction. Whatever the hairstyle, he is still the focal point of a new-look City side, expected to spearhead the attack as Maresca stamps his ideas on the team.

His influence, though, now stretches well beyond the pitch. Haaland emerged from the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament’s biggest social media stars after firing Norway to the quarter-finals. He scored seven goals during that run and added more than 32 million Instagram followers over the 39-day competition – the largest surge of any player involved.

That explosion in profile has pushed him into a different stratosphere. His personality and constant stream of content have drawn in an audience that doesn’t just tune in for his goals, but for everything that surrounds him.

Those millions will be watching again as he steps out in competitive action with his revamped look, a new coach on the touchline and a fresh chapter for Manchester City beginning around him.

The hair has gone. The expectation hasn’t.