Shekhar Tiwari

First Neymar, Now Haaland: Inside The Growing Bond Between K-pop and Football Stars

Erling Haaland, Neymar

Unexpected encounters between celebrities in today’s social media-driven world can create a whirlwind of excitement among fans.

Recently, the worlds of football and K-pop collided when Manchester City’s prolific striker, Erling Haaland, shared a photo featuring himself alongside Jisoo, a talented singer from the world-renowned Korean girl group, BLACKPINK.

This delightful snap sparked a frenzy of fangirling on Twitter, with fans expressing their enthusiasm for this unexpected pairing.

The photo of Erling Haaland and Jisoo together reflects the harmonious blend of their global influence. Both of them possess magnetic appeal, drawing adoration from millions of fans worldwide. 

Haaland’s remarkable performance as a striker during the 2022-23 season saw him scoring a staggering 52 goals across various competitions, including a record-breaking 36 goals in the Premier League. 

Meanwhile, BLACKPINK holds the title of being the world’s most popular girl group, with their members excelling in rap, vocals, and captivating audiences worldwide.

The excitement reached new heights when the South Korean e-commerce company Coupang Play and Manchester City teased a potential collaboration between Haaland and Jisoo.

Their Instagram photo, featuring Jisoo holding a Manchester City jersey, added with the quote COMING SOON left fans speculating about what could be in store.

Interestingly, this is not the first time a BLACKPINK member has been seen fangirling over a football star.

BLACKPINK’s Lisa had her own encounter with the Brazilian player Neymar when the group visited France for the Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes charity event. The two stars posed together for a photo, which went viral on social media and received overwhelming support from fans. 

Neymar’s genuine enthusiasm for BLACKPINK demonstrated how the worlds of K-pop and soccer can overlap in delightful ways.

In a surprising turn of events last year, Paris Saint-Germain football star Neymar expressed his love for BLACKPINK’s latest single, “Pink Venom,” on Twitter. 

Neymar’s admiration for the group did not stop there, as he was also seen dancing to their song “How You Like That” while playing PUBG in 2021.

The soccer star’s love for BLACKPINK extended to using the BLACKPINK skins package in the game, further solidifying his fandom.

ALSO READ: How Much Money Did Erling Haaland Get For Winning MOTM Against Yokohama Marinos?