Erling Haaland has revealed that he had been considering cutting his trademark long blonde hair for a long time before finally deciding that the start of the new season was the right moment for a dramatic change.
The Manchester City striker admitted he was initially nervous about the decision, partly because of repeated warnings from former Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimović, who had told him that his strength was in his hair.
Speaking after City’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Coventry City, Haaland was asked about the biblical story of Samson, whose strength was famously associated with his hair.
“I was a little nervous, I have to admit. When Zlatan warned me several times, I felt a bit scared, but everything has gone well so far,” Haaland said.
The 26-year-old’s new buzz cut had already attracted enormous attention after he unveiled the transformation ahead of Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixture of the 2026/27 season.
Rather than being an impulsive decision, however, Haaland explained that he had been contemplating the change for some time.
“I had been thinking about it for a long time, but the people around me kept stopping me. They wanted me to keep my hair long,” he said.
“But I felt that the time had come, that I needed to cut it. Now we just have to let it grow again.”
Haaland had previously explained through his own video content that he wanted the haircut as part of a fresh start for the new season, having initially considered cutting his hair immediately after Norway’s 2026 World Cup campaign but postponing the decision because of his schedule.
The haircut also prompted a memorable reaction from Ibrahimović.
Haaland had previously revealed that the former Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona striker warned him never to cut his hair because “the strength is in the hair”, drawing a direct comparison with the biblical Samson.
When Haaland eventually showed Ibrahimović his new appearance, the Swedish icon reacted with disbelief, jokingly asking what he had done and telling him to block and delete his number.
The Norwegian, however, has shown little sign of regretting the decision.
He even posted “Short hair don’t care” after unveiling the new look, while describing the change as the beginning of a new chapter.
There was inevitably some early material for the “Samson effect” jokes.
Haaland failed to score in Manchester City’s opening Premier League match against Bournemouth despite having several opportunities, although City eventually recovered from a goal down to win 2-1.
But any suggestion that the haircut had affected his goalscoring quickly disappeared.
Haaland subsequently scored in City’s 1-0 victory over Coventry, and after the match he admitted he had been frustrated that he did not score more, saying he felt he could have scored another two goals.
The goal also underlined the reality behind the playful Samson comparisons: Haaland’s power was never actually in his hair.
His decision was ultimately personal — a change he had considered for months and one he felt was necessary after an extraordinary summer with Norway and ahead of another demanding club season.
And despite surrendering one of the most recognisable hairstyles in world football, Haaland has already made it clear that the famous locks may eventually return.
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