Manchester City's Erling Haaland warms up prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

2026-08-23T12:58:57Z

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland’s famed flowing locks are no more.

The Manchester City superstar has a new hairstyle for the new Premier League season: A buzz cut that went viral on social media on Sunday ahead of the team’s opening match against Bournemouth.

The Norway striker has become one of the most easily distinguishable sport stars in recent years because of his long hair.

In a video on Haaland’s YouTube channel, Zlatan Ibrahimovic asked if the City striker had “lost a bet” when he was shown the new hairstyle.

“You gonna be faster now, or what?” Ibrahimovic said.

Former City manager Pep Guardiola reacted to the haircut by saying: “You’re lucky to have hair. I would love to have it!”

Haaland arrived at Etihad Stadium for the Bournemouth game wearing a cap, but that had been removed for the warmup — revealing the buzz cut.

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