Man City Fans Say 'Game of Thrones' Star Made Erling Haaland Look 'Like a Little Kid' After Derby Win

Manchester City fans were left in disbelief after a photograph showed Erling Haaland dwarfed by 'Game of Thrones' star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson following City's Manchester derby win.

Björnsson, best known for playing Ser Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane in the HBO fantasy series, posted the picture on social media after City's 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 September.

The Icelandic actor and former strongman captioned the post: 'Met another Viking', prompting a wave of reactions from football fans amused by the size difference between the two men. The photograph quickly went viral, with fans joking that the 6ft 5in striker suddenly looked tiny beside Björnsson.

The Mountain Makes Haaland Look 'Like a Little Kid'

Haaland is already one of football's most physically imposing players, standing around 6ft 5in (1.95m). Yet he appeared noticeably smaller next to Björnsson, who is around 6ft 9in (2.06m) and is known for his huge frame after a career in professional strongman competition.

One fan joked that Björnsson was 'making my Viking striker look tiny', while another compared the pair to a father picking up his son from a football camp. A third wrote that the actor had made Haaland 'look like a school kid'.

Haaland Helps City Win Manchester Derby

The photograph came after a memorable afternoon for Haaland, who scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Manchester United in the 199th Manchester derby. City spent more than an hour with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off in the first half following an incident involving United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, City's defence held firm and Haaland eventually broke the deadlock in the 60th minute.

The Norwegian striker finished from close range after Joško Gvardiol's deflected cross reached him at the far post. The goal was initially ruled out for offside before a lengthy VAR review overturned the decision.

The decision proved controversial, with United players and pundits questioning whether Enzo Fernández's position affected the play. Pro Ref later admitted that it had made a mistake by not recommending an on-field review of the incident.

It was Haaland's ninth goal in Manchester derbies, underlining his record against City's local rivals. He had already scored eight times in his previous seven Premier League appearances against United before Sunday's match.

The victory also maintained City's perfect start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign. They have won all four of their opening league matches and remain level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table.

'The Mountain' Makes Haaland Look Small

While Haaland's goal was the decisive moment on the pitch, his meeting with Björnsson produced one of the most-shared images from the derby.

The Icelandic star also has a strongman background, having competed at the highest level in strength competitions. That made the contrast with Haaland especially clear: the Manchester City forward may be a giant by football standards, but standing beside Björnsson made him appear almost ordinary.

The photograph quickly became a light-hearted postscript to the derby victory, giving City supporters another reason to celebrate after Haaland had already provided the key moment of the afternoon.