Norway striker Erling Haaland is one of the strongest forces in the World Cup. He has brought Norway into the quarterfinals with his incredibly high energy and precise movements. Haaland might be slightly unorthodox in his methods, but clearly that has brought his team nothing but success. Interestingly enough, aside from his impressive striking power, soccer fans have begun to notice something else about Haaland.
The elite athlete bears more than a striking resemblance to the anime villain Majin Buu from “Dragon Ball Z.” The comparison is mostly drawn from Haaland’s pronounced brow and his unusual poses. Quickly, fans all over the world began associating Norway’s secret weapon with one of the most dangerous villains in “Dragon Ball” history. However, soccer fans aren’t the only ones who have acknowledged the resemblance.
Haaland Confirms He Sees The Resemblance Via Instagram Comments
An Instagram post from hidden.ny containing pictures of Haaland directly across from images of Majin Buu drew a lot of attention online, even from the Norway soccer star himself. The incredible striker took to the comments to say, “I mean I don’t disagree,” completely confirming the talented athlete also sees the similarity. While Majin Buu isn’t probably the best character to be likened to, especially when looks are considered, Haaland is clearly taking the astonishing resemblance in stride.
The comparison is also applicable when considering how much of a destructive force Haaland is on the soccer field. Like Majin Buu from the beloved anime, there are few athletes that can compete with Haaland on pure striking power. It’s also somewhat uncanny how many of Majin Buu’s various poses Haaland has parodied both on and off the field. It’s possible that the Norway striker could be a secret fan, or simply just started mimicking the poses once the comparisons began.
Interestingly enough, Haaland isn’t the only soccer star to receive an anime association. Haaland does share the most resemblance with their respective character, but he is far from the only star to receive an anime counterpart. Many stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all compared to anime characters based on the way they act rather than the way they look. Nevertheless, this says more about Haaland’s extensive grace than anything else.
Haalands Reaction to the Comparisons Demonstrates Incredible Grace
Very few celebrities would take being compared to Majin Buu in stride. Even some of the most down-to-earth actors and athletes would struggle being linked to the evil blob. Yet, Haaland has clearly taken every single mention of him, and the character clearly proves he can roll with the punches. Not only has Haaland been completely unfazed by the correlation, but he has even embraced the likeness completely.
GettyIt’s possible that there could be some larger reference to Majin Buu made by Norway if the team continues to have a successful World Cup bout. Kylian Mbappe’s teammates famously gifted him a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” mask after the athlete had been compared to the character. It’s entirely possible that Haaland’s team does something similar, especially if Haaland continues to be such a threat on the field.
Ultimately, Haaland isn’t the only soccer star to be compared to an anime character. The comparison isn’t the most appealing, but the athlete has clearly taken it in stride and admitted to seeing the resemblance. The way the athlete has reacted to the likeness only proves the strength of his character, and could make him even more popular among soccer fans.
