Erling Haaland follows Eze and Salah chess passion with investment

Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland has followed fellow Premier League stars Eberechi Eze and Mohammed Salah in sharing his passion for chess after investing in the game.

Haaland has backed Norway Chess and its modernised format, the Total Chess World Championship Tour, alongside Norwegian business leader Morten Borge.

It is the superstar’s latest off-field venture, having previously invested in recovery technology company Hyperice and Scandinavian luxury travel brand Db. 

“Chess is an incredible game, there are clear similarities to football. You have to think quickly, trust your instincts, and think several moves ahead,” said Haaland.

The inaugural tournament is scheduled for the end of this year, with a full championship season set to launch in 2027. The championship will feature an annual prize pool of $2.7m. 

“I’m investing in Norway chess because I believe the new Total Chess World Championship Tour can turn chess into an even bigger sport for spectators around the world,” Haaland added.

The sport has enjoyed a growing recent popularity among elite footballers, with Arsenal midfielder Eze winning $20,000 in an online tournament last year and Liverpool forward Salah describing himself as “addicted” to the cerebral game. 

Chess is where it’s at

Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen is a noted football fan, meanwhile, and is set to feature in the new competition, which will consist of four tournaments a year in different cities and three formats: Blitz, Rapid and Classical.

Content related to the sport has flourished on digital channels since a pandemic-era boom, with content creators such as GothamChess and grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura commanding more than 10m subscribers combined. 

Haaland’s global profile can give that a further boost. He launched a YouTube channel last year that already has more than 1m subscribers.

Kjell Madland, CEO of Norway Chess and Total Chess, said he was “absolutely certain he will bring tremendous value, help generate increased interest in the fascinating world of chess, and attract new audiences.”