Why did Erling Haaland cut his hair? Man City star explains buzz cut as fans joke, 'hope he doesn't lose his powers'

Ahead of City's season opener against Bournemouth on Sunday, Erling Haaland shared a YouTube vlog showing the haircut.

Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 23:04:39 IST

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Erling Haaland has ditched his trademark long blonde hair for a buzz cut, giving himself a fresh look ahead of the new Premier League season with Manchester City.

Why did Erling Haaland cut his hair?

Haaland has become known for wearing his long blonde hair in a ponytail or man bun. Ahead of City's season opener against Bournemouth on Sunday, he shared a YouTube vlog showing the haircut.

In the video, Haaland explained that he had planned to cut his hair after the 2026 World Cup but was too busy.

“This beautiful blonde hair… time to let it go,” he said. “I was thinking about doing it straight after the World Cup, but I was so busy so I didn’t do it. The season starts now so it’s time to get a fresh start.”

Haaland also recalled Zlatan Ibrahimović's advice to “never cut your hair, because your strength is in your hair.” He admitted he felt a little nervous about going against that advice but decided to go ahead with the haircut anyway.

He also joked about his Viking roots, saying, “The Vikings go short as well,” while showing a picture of a short-haired Viking.

How did Zlatan, Grealish and Guardiola react?

The new haircut also got reactions from some of Haaland's biggest footballing connections.

Zlatan Ibrahimović was clearly not impressed. “What the f*** did you do? You lost a bet or what?” he joked. He then added, “Block me and erase my number, my friend.”

Jack Grealish laughed and told him, “You look about 10 years old.”

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was also surprised by the change. “You are lucky to have hair. I would've loved to have it,” he joked.

Fans react to Haaland's new look

Fans were quick to react to Haaland's dramatic haircut. Many jokes about how different he looks without his trademark locks.

One fan wrote, “Oh no… what have you done my boy.”

Another said, “The haircut kind of makes him look younger.”

A third joked, “I hope he doesn’t lose his powers. They may have been in the hair.”

Another fan quipped, “Haaland went from Viking striker to academy prospect in one haircut.”

“The ponytail era ending feels weirdly bigger than expected,” another fan added.

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