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The Norwegian goal machine was born in Leeds, sparking an intriguing thought — what if Erling Haaland had led the attack for the Three Lions?

Most football fans know that Erling Haaland was born in Leeds while his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing there. But the real question is — could he have actually played for England if he had wanted to?

To start with, it’s important to note that this is purely a hypothetical discussion. Haaland moved to Norway when he was three years old and stayed there until joining Red Bull Salzburg in 2019, at the age of 18.

Haaland himself has said that his choice of national team was never in doubt. Speaking to Goal, he explained: “It was natural for me to choose Norway. You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know. But yeah, I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”

Still, for the sake of debate, could Haaland have suited up for England if he had really wanted to?

Older football followers may recall a similar discussion about Ryan Giggs during his playing days. Giggs had represented England Schoolboys in his youth, which led some to wonder whether he might one day play for England’s senior side.

However, Giggs was never eligible for the England team. He was born in Wales to Welsh parents, which made him ineligible to represent England at the senior level under the rules at the time.

His appearances for the England Schoolboys team were based solely on his education in England. He had moved to the Manchester area as a young boy when his father, a rugby player, transferred to Swinton.

Now, turning back to Haaland — his case is somewhat similar, though with a few differences. Being born in England would have qualified him under FIFA statute 6.2(a), provided he held UK nationality.

Given that Haaland was born in England, he could have been considered a UK national if either of his parents had settled status in the country — something that is quite likely, as they were European Economic Area (EEA) nationals living there at the time.

The Home Nations — England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland — have a shared agreement regarding player eligibility. The current rules, in place since 2010, would not have prevented Haaland from playing for England either. Under Article 1(a) of that agreement, a player is eligible if “he was born on the territory of the relevant Association.”

So, technically speaking, Haaland could have been eligible to play for England. But here’s where things get tricky.

To officially confirm his UK nationality with FIFA, a footballer must hold a UK passport. And Haaland has never had one.

In an interview with Manchester City’s club magazine earlier this year, Haaland shared: “There was never a conversation about it because I was in Norway and it was not possible to get the passport then. I can get the passport now. I'd love to get the English passport, you know? Why not?”

His claim that it was “not possible” to obtain a UK passport might not be entirely accurate. However, it would have required considerable paperwork and effort on his parents’ part, with little incentive to go through the process unless they had seriously wanted him to represent England in the future — which they clearly didn’t.

Therefore, if Haaland had truly wanted to play for England and had gone through the formalities of obtaining a UK passport, then yes, he would have been eligible.

But since he grew up in Norway, to Norwegian parents, and never had any particular interest in representing another country, it’s an entirely theoretical matter.

And in any case, England seem to be doing just fine with Harry Kane leading the line, don’t they?