Ivana Knoll Singles Out Erling Haaland as the Only Footballer Who Left a Lasting Personal Impression

Croatian influencer and model Ivana Knoll has named Erling Haaland as the footballer who made the greatest personal impression on her, singling out the Manchester City striker above several other global stars she has encountered over recent years.

Knoll made the admission in a candid interview with talkSPORT while attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. “Honestly, personally who I met and I think is the only player who I really like as a person is Haaland,” she said. She added: “They’re all nice guys so I cannot say anything, but my best impression was with Haaland and his friends. I think that they are very nice people.”

Among the high-profile footballers Knoll has crossed paths with are Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior and AC Milan forward Rafael Leão. “I know a couple of players as friends. I know Vinicius, I met Haaland. I know Rafael Leão,” she noted, though she was careful to speak positively of all three.

Haaland, 24, has established himself as one of the most dominant strikers in world football since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022. The Norway international has scored prolifically in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, winning multiple domestic honours with City. He is representing Norway at the 2026 World Cup — the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 1998.

Knoll first rose to international prominence during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where her consistent attendance at Croatia’s matches — dressed in striking red-and-white outfits — generated widespread attention on social media. The viral exposure transformed her into a global influencer with millions of followers across multiple platforms, and she has since expanded into music, modelling, and entertainment.

The 2026 World Cup marks Knoll’s fourth appearance at the tournament as a supporter. Ahead of travelling to back Zlatko Dalić’s Croatia side, she performed at the FIFA Fan Festival in Los Angeles, reflecting the extent to which her profile has grown since her breakout moment in Qatar.

Croatia, who finished runners-up at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and reached the third-place playoff in Qatar in 2022, are competing in the expanded 48-team edition of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Dalić’s squad faces the challenge of progressing through a more competitive group-stage format introduced for 2026.

Knoll’s comments add a human-interest dimension to the tournament’s broader cultural narrative, as the 2026 edition continues to attract significant global attention both on and off the pitch.