Erling Haaland's Amanda Batula-Esque Man Bun Is My Favorite Part of the World Cup

When Batula wore the half bun, 'Summer House' viewers were left quite confused. Haaland's rendition garners a different reaction. | Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images, Clifton Prescod/Bravo/Getty Images

It's not a braid. And it's not a ponytail. It's not really that much of a bun, either, if we're being technical about it. But it's practical on the pitch, and it looks much more at home on him than on Summer House star Amanda Batula, whom viewers roasted for wearing a "f--k a-- bun" to the explosive reunion for the show's most recent season.

What am I talking about, you ask? Why, Erling Haaland's signature man bun, of course.

To me, the Scandinavian striker is the darling of the 2026 World Cup—the player that I, as a once-every-four-years soccer fan, knew little about heading into the tournament, but will certainly never forget now that he and his fellow Norwegians have Viking-rowed their way into the quarterfinal. Haaland is also currently tied for second place in the race for the Golden Boot, sitting just behind Lionel Messi with 8 goals and next to Kylian Mbappé with 7, and put up a positively legendary performance when Norway knocked out Brazil in a 2-1 Round of 16 win—two factoids that will bolster his international reputation as one of the sport's brightest stars. But it is his hairstyle I will remember most fondly ... and not just because it reminds me of Batula's.

At 6'5" and 208 pounds, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Haaland is the spitting image of a Norse God or ruthless Viking warrior. If he traded his soccer kit for a pelt and the ball for, I don't know, a massive hammer, you could sub him in on the set of Thor, and not a soul would notice. If you told me he hailed from Winterfell, I would believe you.

And if he were doing literally anything else with his hair, the effect wouldn't be nearly the same. The flow is part of the charm, part of the story, as though he was born not of human parents, but miraculously spawned deep in the mountains of Norway (again, I would believe it). I love that he chooses not to tie it back into a ponytail, for which he has more than enough material, but instead wraps it into the very same "f--k a--" bun for which Batula was so viciously clowned. From a practical perspective, you can see why; the end of a ponytail might swing around and obscure his vision, while the half-wrap bun is (1) easy to redo and (2) keeps flyaways from flying rogue.

He is also quite protective of his mane overall, believing, as Zlatan Ibrahimović once told him, that his strength is contained in its strands. That is why he does not get rid of it, even though, as a professional athlete and one of the most recognizable footballers in the world, it would be much easier to ditch the locks entirely. Instead, he struts onto the biggest stage on the planet with a hairstyle that answers the question: what would happen if I tried to tie my hair back, but stopped halfway through?

I simply have to respect it. I love his almost barbaric, eyes-on-the-prize attitude; I love his undeniable generational skill; and, above all, I love his love for his stupidly messy man bun, which, in this case, actually works.

I will admit: I am pretty late to the Haaland train. Avid soccer fans have been riding for years, and they've remained well aware of the striker's flowy locks and signature style. But I'm on board now and here to say: sorry, Amanda—your bun has been outdone.

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