Erling Haaland’s girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen made a telling comment about being ‘sick of football’ when the Man City striker put on a match during dinner
Luke Thrower and Bruna Reis
14:08, 10 Dec 2025
Erling Haaland’s girlfriend Isabel is ‘sick of football’(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)
Erling Haaland has lifted the lid on his passion for watching football in his downtime, though it seems his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen has grown rather fed up with how much the beautiful game takes over their relationship.
The Manchester City goal machine opened up about his obsession during a chat with Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker on The Rest Is Football podcast, revealing how he tuned into Manchester United’s 1-1 stalemate with West Ham last Thursday evening.
When quizzed about whether he actually watches matches, the 25-year-old Norwegian admitted: “Yeah, I’m a football fan, so I watch all kinds of football. Actually, yesterday, we were eating dinner, and I checked if there were any games. Man Utd, West Ham is playing.
Isabel Haugseng Johansen is the better half of Erling Haaland(Image: INTERENET PICTURE)
“Let’s put it on. My missus said, ‘I’m so sick of football. We watch it all the time.’ And I’m like, yeah, that’s the reason why we are sitting here.”
The candid confession offers a fascinating glimpse into Haaland’s world away from banging in goals for City week in, week out.
The striker is currently dating 21-year-old Isabel, with the couple having first crossed paths back in Norway while Haaland was plying his trade at Bryne FK – his maiden club.
Haaland met Isabel when they played for the same club in Norway(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It’s rather revealing that even Haaland’s other half has complained about football being on ‘all the time,’ highlighting just how consumed the hitman is with the sport.
Whilst this might appear perfectly normal for a top-level footballer, that’s not necessarily always the situation, as some players simply treat it as just another day at the office without showing such keen interest.
Arsenal’s Ben White may not be the biggest football fan off the pitch, but Erling Haaland certainly is, and his passion for the game might just be the secret behind his goal-scoring prowess.
Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola(Image: SmartFrame/News Images)
City boss Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the Norwegian striker last month, comparing him to football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. “This is what it’s like if you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is so big,” Guardiola gushed.
“You see the numbers of that guy? Of course he’s that level. [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like, ‘I am going to score.'”
Guardiola also highlighted Haaland’s determination and coachability, saying: “He has that hunger. It’s top. I said how incredibly coachable and manageable he is. I am tough sometimes with Haaland, but he is open-minded. He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal.”
With a staggering 144 goals in 166 appearances for Manchester City, Haaland must surely be aware of the records within his reach, given his keen interest in the narratives of football and the Premier League.
