He’s not just terrorising defenders
Manchester City star Erling Haaland will face a different challenge after agreeing a partnership that has seen him become a character in the popular mobile game, Clash of Clans.
Haaland joined as the ‘Barbarian King’ in the latest update that saw a host of football-themed features appearing in the game throughout the month, including special troop characters and medal events.
Fans of the game will also have the chance to try and destroy Haaland’s in-game village and have been able to play as him/go up against him since May 1.
As part of the partnership, an epic movie-style trailer, complete with custom Haaland soundtrack was released. The trailer sees real-life Haaland encounter characters from the game before being transported into the animated world of Clash of Clans.
You can watch the full trailer here.
Visitors to the App Store will see exclusive reveals of Haaland’s role in the game and additional details of rewards and events taking place.
When he’s not scoring goals, Haaland likes to unwind by playing Clash of Clans and admitted that keeping his involvement in the game as a secret has been tricky.
He said: “It’s been tough to keep this one quiet, but I’m excited to finally be able to talk about this epic partnership with Clash of Clans. I’ve been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it, so to appear as an in-game character is really cool.”
To mark the historical moment, billboards were placed across the country in London, Liverpool and Manchester. The billboards invite people to scan a QR code, download Clash of Clans, raid Haaland’s own village and steal his gold.
And one other football star has already picked up the gauntlet.
Honduras goalkeeper Jose Garcia, famously on the wrong end of a triple hat trick from Erling Haaland during the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, has already been enjoying some sweet in-game retribution.
Jose Garcia said: “I have wanted my revenge on Erling Haaland for years and now I saw he is in Clash of Clans, I have my chance!”
Stuart McGaw, Clash of Clans General Manager, added: “When we heard Erling Haaland was a fan of our game and that he wanted to partner with us, it was really a dream scenario. Our team did everything we could to bring him, one of the world’s best athletes, into the world of the game so our players could enjoy a truly special moment.”
Clash of Clans will be announcing even more exciting, football-focused news as part of the partnership with Erling Haaland, so be sure to follow the game on social media (YouTube / Instagram / X / TikTok) for all updates.
To experience the Haaland-themed event in Clash of Clans and to learn more, visit the App Store here
