Erling Haaland has been talked up as a potential future WWE attraction after American audiences – and some of wrestling’s biggest names – were won over by the Manchester City striker during this summer’s World Cup.
Cody Rhodes, who is set to face CM Punk for the WWE title at SummerSlam this weekend, name-checked Haaland during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon when asked which celebrities he would like to see step into a WWE ring.
Rhodes was invited to consider a list of high-profile figures, including Tom Holland, Travis Kelce, Jason Momoa and Haaland, and was quick to highlight the Norway forward’s appeal as a crossover star.
Quoted by The Sun, Rhodes said: “Haaland is a great athlete, and with the hair, we can pretend to be cousins, because in wrestling we’re all related, so he can be my cousin.”
Rhodes, like Haaland, is blond, although his hair is considerably shorter and dyed, in contrast to the Manchester City striker’s longer, natural look.
US fans drawn to Haaland
Haaland has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the United States after Norway’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer, with his performances helping him capture the imagination of American supporters.
On the back of that campaign, the 26-year-old has grown his social media following to just over 32 million, underlining his status as one of the most marketable footballers on the planet.
Standing at 6ft 5in, Haaland would physically fit the profile of a WWE performer and, as Rhodes noted, would not look out of place in the ring. His height is comparable to that of WWE icon Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Football still the priority
Despite the enthusiasm from within WWE, there is currently no suggestion that Haaland is considering a switch from the penalty area to the squared circle.
The Norway international remains firmly focused on his football career, with several years at the top level still ahead of him and plenty more goals expected in a Manchester City shirt.
However, WWE has a long history of enlisting celebrities for one-off appearances and special attraction matches, often around its major events such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
That track record naturally fuels speculation over whether Haaland could one day follow in the footsteps of other high-profile names from sport and entertainment who have stepped through the ropes for cameo roles.
For now, any WWE involvement for Haaland remains hypothetical, but Rhodes’s public endorsement – and the striker’s growing profile in the United States – ensures the prospect will continue to be discussed whenever football and wrestling collide.
