Erling Braut Haaland was born on 21 July 2000 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, while his father Alfie Haaland played for Leeds United. The family later moved to Bryne, Norway, where Erling began playing football at a young age.

At 16, Haaland joined Molde, making his debut in the Norwegian Cup and scoring on his first appearance. He quickly established himself as a promising young striker.

Haaland scored 16 goals in 30 matches across all competitions, earning the Eliteserien Breakthrough of the Year award and attracting international attention.