The last time Norway participated in a World Cup in 1998, Erling Haaland wasn't even born. But today the Nordic team led by the 25-year-old goalscorer is qualified for the quarterfinals of the World Cup, after eliminating the five-time champion Brazil with two goals of his own.

In fact, “El Androide” of 1.94 tall is in the fight to be the top scorer of the championship, with seven goals, the same as the Argentine star Lionel Messi and the French star Kylian Mbappé.

“I don't know, I think it's my specialty to score goals… it's just like that,” Haaland said laughing a few days ago after scoring a double against Senegal.

Norway has already made history by qualifying for the quarter-finals for the first time, but could achieve even greater feats by beating England on Saturday to reach the semi-finals.

And Norwegian hopes will once again be placed on Haaland, about whom we tell you 5 things that perhaps you didn't know.

1. Born in England

Haaland was born in 2000 in the English city of Leeds, where his father, the Norwegian Alf-Inge Håland - a team that participated in the US World Cup in 1994 - played for the Leeds United club.

But at just 4 years old, the family returned to their place of origin, Bryne, in southern Norway, where little Haaland began playing soccer (and other sports, such as jumping and cycling).

“I saw Erling for the first time when he was 5 years old, when he joined indoor training with a group a year older,” coach Alf Ingve Berntsen told Goal. "His first two touches ended in a goal. He was very, very good from the first moment, even though he had not played for the club before."

"He was a little shorter than his rivals because he was a year younger. But even if his opponent was considerably taller, he still scored goals. When he was 11 or 12, we knew he would go far. Even then we knew he had what it took to be a youth international."

At the age of 15, he was already playing for the discreet Bryne FK club, which has wandered between the second and first divisions of its country throughout its history. But his great scoring ability led him to sign for another Norwegian club, Molde FK, led by historic striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is considered one of Haaland's godfathers.

It was during his time at the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg that the striker began to attract international attention and then established himself at German club Borussia Dortmund.

Today he is the great figure of English Manchester City.

2. A goal machine with the national team

In this World Cup, Haaland not only carries the weight of a nation, but also the combined weight of all those former players who could not fulfill their dreams of playing in the World Cup.

Apart from reaching consecutive tournaments in 1994 and 1998, Norway has suffered long periods of absence from major international competitions, with its last participation in a major tournament being Euro 2000.

But now they have his figure, whose fame has grown rapidly in recent years.

With his national team, the Manchester City striker has scored in each of his last 14 official matches with Norway, adding a total of 27 goals in that period.

In total, he has scored 62 goals in 54 international matches, with an average of 1 goal every 71 minutes.

3. The surprising Haaland diet

Off the court, Haaland has used social media to show off her life, including her particular diet requirements.

The young forward consumes about 6,000 calories a day. On your table are some unusual protein sources, from beef heart and liver to raw honey and milk.

“I do everything I can to be the best possible version of myself,” the young player said in one of his videos.

He also has very strict habits, including turning off all devices at night and sleeping at least 10 hours.

But it's not something new. In fact, since he was at the Austrian Red Bulls Salzburg, his teammates looked at him in amazement for his strict personal care at his young age.

"He is a top-notch professional. While we play cards on trips, he is only seen reading scientific articles about how to improve his sleep or his diet. He is always looking for the smallest details that he can perfect to go one step further," his former teammate Maxmilian Wober assured the DAZN portal.

4. The pride of being Braut

Having been born in Leeds, Haaland could have represented England and reached the highest levels of football in Europe and the world, but it was never an option.

“Despite his global superstar status, Haaland remains exactly the same,” Norwegian sports journalist Andreas Korssund tells BBC Sport.

"He knows perfectly well where he comes from and frequently visits his small hometown in Rogaland. He is incredibly proud of his roots and is always available to the Norwegian press when representing his country."

He has been inspired by Norway's Viking history and is tremendously proud to represent his country.

It is this affinity with his roots that has also led him to wear his full surname, Braut Haaland, on the back of his national team's shirt.

Braut is her mother's maiden name and combining it with her father's is a Norwegian tradition.

“Haaland means everything to Norway,” says Korssund. "He has become an unprecedented superstar in the world's most important sport. For a nation of just over 5.5 million people to produce one of the best footballers on the planet is great."

5. A personality that is not Norwegian at all

With his imposing height of 1.95 meters and his long blonde hair, Haaland has become one of the most recognizable players in football.

His charisma began to shine during his time at Manchester City, and his sense of humor, sometimes very English, has endeared him to the fans.

His YouTube channel, where he records “a day in the life of Haaland” videos, has 1.6 million subscribers. In addition, he will participate in the animated film ViQueens lending his voice to a Viking named, of course, Haaland.

“I think Erling, in some ways, is not quite a typical Norwegian,” said Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen. "He's confident and can be a little cheeky. He knows his worth, he knows his quality and he trusts himself."

"Scandinavia has a culture that focuses more on humility, and Erling would even complain if he was on the bench. So I think he's a bit atypical for Norwegians... That makes him an interesting hero for us."

With his fame come the things associated with being a superstar: shirt sales, increased interest in the World Cup and inspiration for young people.

“He now belongs to a very different category of star than what we are used to seeing in our sports heroes,” Sivertsen said. “But I think if you look across the country, there is an extraordinary sense of pride that a player, who does what he does, is from our country.”

With reporting from BBC Sport's Jess Anderson and Adwaidh Rajan.