When Erling Haaland isn’t playing for Norway in the World Cup, he’s investing in a chess championship and playing an animated Viking

Norway is facing off against England in the World Cup quarterfinals—a historic feat for the Scandinavian country that has never advanced this far at a men’s World Cup. And the breakout star of Norway’s soccer team is striker Erling Haaland, whose career accolades are extending well beyond the pitch.

The Norwegian soccer star is estimated to earn $60 million annually on the field, one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes. But Haaland is also carving out a name in business through Pillage, his Luxembourg-based investment company backing ventures across finance, technology, and real estate. 

Haaland’s latest confirmed business move came in March 2026, when he made an angel investment in Norway Chess. Around the same time, he teamed up with Norwegian businessman Morten Borge in forming Chess Mates, a company built around competitive chess events. Its new tour format, the Total Chess World Championship, will have a minimum prize pool of $2.7 million.

“[Chess] sharpens your mind, and there are clear similarities to football,” Haaland said in a statement earlier this........

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