'Did you lose a bet?' Erling Haaland unveils dramatic new haircut for first Man City game

Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland has undergone a dramatic new haircut as he prepares for another Premier League season with Manchester City.

The striker, known for his long blonde hair, took to social media to reveal a new closely-cropped look on Sunday, telling football fans: "New season, new trim."

In a video of the cut uploaded to his YouTube account, Haaland said he had thought about changing his hair immediately after the 2026 men's World Cup, but hadn't found time.

"The new season starts now, so it's time to get a fresh start and everything," Haaland, 26, said.

"The only thing is, Zlatan (Ibrahimović) told me never cut your hair because your strength is in your hair. I'm a bit nervous."

Haaland emerged as one of the biggest social media stars of the World Cup, scoring seven goals for Norway and gaining more than 32 million Instagram followers during the tournament - the most growth of any player.

Many TikTok users delighted in posting about the footballer's long hair, on-pitch celebrations and close friendship with England's Jude Bellingham.

Haaland could be seen FaceTiming Ibrahimović shortly after his haircut, as well as his Man City teammate Jack Grealish and former manager Pep Guardiola.

Ibrahimović asked him: "What is this? You lost a bet or what?" before joking: "Block me and erase my number."

Man City will play Bournmouth in their opening game on Sunday.