When Haaland Met Meatballs: A Norwegian Café's Viral Turn
27 January 2026
A meatball-mad moment started by chance and ended in a queue.
Meatball Moment at a Norwegian Café
Manchester City star Erling Haaland became the talk of the town in Norway after triggering unprecedented frenzy inside a small family cafe, simply for choosing to eat a meatball dish.
The 25-year-old striker accidentally wandered into a modest cafe called Kafé Jaerbuen in the town of Nærbø, unplanned, shocking staff with an unexpected order.
Standing 195 cm tall, Haaland ordered two full servings of the cafe's famous meatball dish and finished both completely, to everyone's astonishment.
Owner Jette Bjørland revealed the incident in statements carried by The Sun, saying: "Our portions are huge, but Haaland finished both plates with ease. He's a big man who needs a lot of food."
The real surprise began after the cafe posted pictures of Haaland's meal on social media, sparking an extraordinary wave of customers eager to try what they dubbed "Haaland meatballs."
Bjørland added: "Sales exploded. We were frying about 30 kilograms of meatballs a day, sold out as soon as they hit the skillet. Now the meatballs have become a standalone brand."
Haaland is known for his love of food, having launched a YouTube channel last year devoted to food experiments, which amplified fans' reaction to the incident.
Aftermath and Viral Craze
This funny tale comes after a tough spell for the Norwegian star, who was forced to apologize for Manchester City's embarrassing defeat to Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League—an away game that risked direct qualification for the knockout stages.
