Best footballer in the world says it's 'embarrassing' but he relaxes by playing Minecraft

Erling Haaland points at his Premier League winner's medal.
(Image credit: Michael Regan via Getty)

Erling Haaland has this season gone from being a player of undoubted talent to the most lethal and consistent striker in the world. Haaland joined Manchester City last summer and, over a season that's seen them win the Premier League (which may yet get better, with the club in two cup finals), this babyfaced assassin has scored a remarkable 52 goals in all competitions. And when he's not bestriding the football world like a colossus, Haaland plays Minecraft.

Finding out what Haaland's favourite game was has been the focus of some fans ever since he mentioned it in a post-match interview. After breaking the Premier League record for most goals scored in a single season against West Ham United, Haaland was asked about the record and his mindset about such things.

"I don’t think of this," said Haaland. "I sleep tonight and then I think about three points against Leeds. I will go home now and play some videogames and then sleep." The interviewer asked Haaland what the game was and he demurred, saying it was "too embarrassing".

Part of the reason this so amuses fans is that Haaland, despite being one of the greatest footballers in the world, with all the rewards that brings, just doesn't appear to be a playboy in the slightest. If anything he sets an example of professionalism, focusing on ice baths and recovery after matches rather than heading out on the town with an armful of women. 

Speculation about Haaland's chosen videogame poison had it at everything from FIFA to World of Warcraft (which really would have been something). Now Haaland's answered the question, posting a picture of himself playing Minecraft to Instagram: And it's something of a humblebrag, too. Note that as this was an Instagram story it's now disappeared, though of course plenty of folk took screenshots.

Haaland's picture shows himself and some friends about to enter the End portal to fight the Ender Dragon, the game's final boss. Fair enough, but what was really impressive is his outfit: Haaland's character is wearing a full set of diamond armour, which takes a long time to get. All four are lined-up, and he's tagged the picture "#Squad".

Minecraft is such a known quantity now that it rarely makes the news, except when something bananas happens like military secrets being spilled on a Discord relating to the game. But it remains a huge touchstone for PC gaming, and one of the most popular routes into the hobby, and is zealously guarded from the intrusion of contemporary nonsense like NFTs. There are other ways to relax after belting in a few goals in the Premier League, but few are as wholesome as taking down the Ender Dragon with your buddies.

Rich Stanton
Senior Editor

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."

Read more
minecraft diamond level sword
Minecraft's never going free-to-play because as it stands it's 'the best deal in the world'
A goalkeeper in a plague mask wields an axe
Silent Hill gets a soccer league in FEAR FA 98, and you can play the demo now
A banana, on its own, in an orange void.
That Banana clicker game is somehow still one of Steam's most-played games, with 100K+ concurrents seeing it consistently outranking the likes of Call of Duty and Helldivers 2
The jester from Balatro, portrayed in unsettling detail in real life, wears an uncanny smile and stares at the viewer.
Balatro's LocalThunk isn't 'trying to pull a Banksy', he just 'wanted to be left alone to make his game'
The player stands in front of a gaping hole in their neatly trimmed garden lawn, with the rear of a house and decking in the background.
Designed in just a few weeks, this $5 indie game about digging a hole has journeyed to the centre of Steam's top sellers chart
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened
Latest in Survival & Crafting
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
An April Fool's Day Palworld game concept about dating Pals
From Palworld movies to Palworld TV shows: 'Everyone under the sun pitched us every idea you can imagine,' says Pocketpair's communications director
Pacific Drive Endless Expeditions spring 2025 update trailer still - a sexy, tricked-out 1980s station wagon being blasted with magic healing electricity
Pacific Drive developers change their mind: A year after refusing to give it mid-run saves, it's getting mid-run saves
minecraft diamond level sword
Minecraft's never going free-to-play because as it stands it's 'the best deal in the world'
New shaders in Minecraft following Minecraft Live 2025
In the year of our lord 2025, Mojang is finally adding shaders to Minecraft, making reflective lighting and water effects more accessible for all
A dried ghast, a ghastling, and a friendly ghast all smiling
The latest Minecraft Live uncovered the tragic truth of the Nether's most bothersome mob, which has unlocked new levels of guilt
Latest in News
A screenshot from SaGa Frontier 2, showing one of the protagonists wandering through a quaint fantasy village
One of Square Enix' most underrated PlayStation-era JRPGs just shadow dropped on Steam
The titular character from Princess Mononoke is depicted riding the wolf goddess Moro and carrying a spear.
Studio Ghibli AI image trend floods social media, cheered on by OpenAI and denounced by critics as an insult to Hayao Miyazaki
Marvel Rivals tier list - Wolverine
Marvel Rivals director says a future patch will reduce the shooter's insatiable hunger for RAM: 'It's a very big problem'
Hogwarts Legacy potions professor holding a potion
An unannounced Hogwarts Legacy expansion and 'definitive edition' have reportedly been cancelled
Story of Seasons - A cahacter in a purple tuxedo stands outside in a town square talking to the player
Story of Seasons is doing another Harvest Moon remake and it might be the best the series has ever looked
Assassin's Creed Shadows change seasons - An upper-body shot of Yasuke looking cheerfully up into the distance.
Assassin's Creed Shadows puts up the 'second highest day-one sales revenue in Assassin's Creed franchise history'