Cross-country skiing: Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo vs Erling Haaland, who is the star of the Kingdom of Norway ?
Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Erling Haaland are two faces of Norwegian sport. The former reigns supreme on the cross-country ski slopes and has just achieved a major feat at the World Championships in Trondheim (Norway) with a grand slam. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland, a Manchester City player, has established himself as a world football star. But who is the biggest star in the Nordic country ?
Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo has established himself as a cross-country skiing legend. At just 28, he has won five Olympic gold medals, fifteen world championship titles and five crystal globes. The most recent World Cross-Country Skiing Championships in Trondheim (Norway) gave him the opportunity to cement his legend and popularity.
“He’s gone from being a results machine to someone you can sympathise with and encourage,” explains TV2 consultant Petter Skinstad.
Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is a household name in world football. This season, he scored 30 goals in 40 matches in all competitions. A real goal machine, at just 24 he is the top scorer in the history of the Norwegian national team, with 40 goals in 41 games.
Nationally, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo appears to be Norway’s biggest sports star. A poll carried out between 10 March and 18 March by Norstat – on behalf of communications agency GimCom AS, which advises Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and athlete Karsten Warholm among others – saw Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo top the list of the Kingdom’s most popular athletes, whileErling Haaland came tenth. Johannes Thingnes Boe came third in the poll, while Therese Johaug was fifth.
While Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo seems to hold the upper hand in Norway, Erling Haaland enjoys greater popularity outside the country’s borders. On Instagram, the footballer has over 38 million followers, while the cross-country skier has 472,000. What’s more, the Manchester City striker has created a veritable tourism boom in the town where he grew up – Bryne (Norway) – with a ‘Haaland Safari’, a tourist attraction retracing his career that attracts fans from all over the world, as revealed by The Guardian.
Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Erling Haaland are two ambassadors for Norwegian sport.Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo embodies excellence in a sport deeply rooted in Norwegian culture, whileErling Haaland shines in a sport with global influence. Different popularities, but equally important in this nation of sports.
Read also
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: the six races won by Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo on video
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo makes history by completing the grand slam at the World Championships
