At every World Cup, there’s always a soccer player who breaks into the mainstream in a big way, transcending the sports sphere and becoming a pop culture icon. This has been Norway star striker Erling Haaland during the 2026 World Cup.
Haaland’s surging stardom also means a massive spotlight has been cast on his longtime girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen. These two met as children in Norway but began officially dating in 2021. They also have a son together, who was born in December of 2024.
Haaland has been very active on the pitch during this World Cup, as his signature sprinting form has gone viral. Johansen is also staying active, which was shown through several posts she shared to her Instagram story on July 9.
Both show Johansen at the gym. The first one is a mirror selfie where she’s wearing a pink top with red leggings and white shoes.
The second post is a video, where Johansen is doing a rowing exercise with a cable machine.
Johansen working on her rows is fitting, since Norway’s fans are now notorious for doing this celebration in the stands during games.
In fact, Erling Haaland made an X post on July 9 telling people to ‘Google’ his name, because doing so prompts a graphic where Norwegian cartoon figures start rowing on screen.
Norway’s next game is in the quarterfinal against England on July 11. Given that Norway has become arguably this World Cup’s most beloved team (largely because of Haaland), fans around the world will hope that Johansen and the rest of Norway’s loyal fans at the match in person have plenty to celebrate.
