Haaland shines with Isabel after WC heartbreak

Over six feet tall, blonde-haired, and spotted casually holding a taxidermied raccoon, just after a cheerful social media “goodbye” post that seemed like a rockstar leaving a tour instead of exiting the World Cup (WC), Erling Haaland has never exactly been the kind of person who slips out of the spotlight.

And even after Norway’s World Cup dream was cut short by England, the striker made it clear: football may be his main stage, but he has plenty of room for a fashion cameo.

But while Haaland’s fashion choices grabbed attention, so did the woman beside him.
Who is Isabel Haugseng Johansen?

Days after Norway’s emotional exit, the Manchester City star entered the polished world of Italian couture, arriving at the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria show with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen. The couple turned heads in coordinated all-white ensembles.

If you need a little tea on their love story: Both grew up in Bryne, a small town in southwestern Norway, and both were connected to Bryne FK – the local club where Haaland made his professional debut at just 15.

While Haaland went on to become one of football’s biggest stars, Johansen built her own connection to the game through the club’s women’s programme.

She was a player herself. Johansen made her senior debut for Bryne’s women’s team at 13 and went on to score 23 goals in 36 appearances.

That football background is something Haaland has often valued, saying she understands the pressures and demands of professional football better than most because she has lived them too.

And when it came to their romance, Johansen was the one who made the first move – at least according to Haaland. In a 2025 interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, the striker joked that she was the one who “checked him out” first.

The pair had known each other since childhood through their shared football environment, but their friendship reportedly developed into a relationship around 2021, during Haaland’s time at Borussia Dortmund. When he moved to Manchester City in 2022, Johansen moved to England with him.

The couple welcomed their first child, a son, in December 2024. Despite being linked to one of football’s most recognisable faces, Johansen has largely stayed away from the spotlight. She rarely gives interviews and maintains a low-key social media presence – a contrast to the attention usually surrounding partners of global sports stars.

During the World Cup, however, she has been in the United States supporting Haaland and Norway, occasionally sharing glimpses of her support for the team.