Even the biggest celebrities like Kim Kardashian get starstruck every once in a while.
You may be surprised to learn that the athlete who made Kardashian act like a fangirl was a famous soccer star. And in fact, it wasn’t even Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, the only two footballers famous enough to have more Instagram followers than the American influencer.
“I was in Italy and I see Erling Haaland,” Kardashian shared in a TikTok posted by GQ Sports, “and I freaked the f–k out, because I know my son would be so excited.”
Haaland’s fame continues to rise on and off the field
Haaland’s star has grown exponentially in the past year since he arrived at Manchester City. The Norwegian striker wasted no time making his mark on the pitch, breaking the Premier League goalscoring record in his first season with 36 goals in 35 games. City won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble, earning Haaland honors as UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and runner-up to Messi in the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
His rise off the field quickly followed suit. Haaland has partnered with LeBron James, Logan Paul and KSI through brand deals with Beats by Dre and PRIME, while also landing on the cover of soccer video game EA Sports FC 24.
Kim Kardashian was embarrassed at how she acted
The 23-year-old has proven a unique ability to connect with fans of all ages, with no better example than the excitement from Kim Kardashian and her son, Saint, when she met him. Kim explained in the GQ video that she FaceTimed her son from the event to prove she met Haaland. She expressed a visible embarrassment about the way she acted around the soccer star
“I’m like such a loser … I’m FaceTiming [Saint] and I’m like, I’ve turned into this person, that, like,” she said before dropping her head in shame and rubbing her temples. “I’m sorry.”
Haaland clearly had a different kind of aura, because it’s not as if Kim K hasn’t been around famous athletes before. She previously dated NFL and NBA players, and her new clothing comany, SKIMS, is taking over the sports world through partnerships with the NBA, Neymar, Nick Bosa, and that controversial one with the Mahomes family.
