On 19/3, the announcement revealed a rare significant investment in chess by a football star. Haaland joined through Chess Mates, a company he co-founded with Norwegian businessman Morten Borge, according to the British newspaper Guardian.

Haaland moves a chess piece after deciding to invest in Norway Chess. Photo: Jonathan Turton

While the investment's exact size remains undisclosed, Norwegian media reports indicate Chess Mates holds about 25% of Norway Chess. Beyond organizing the Norway super tournament, Norway Chess drives the initiative for FIDE's new global chess championship system: the Total Chess World Championship Tour. This strategy seeks to further commercialize chess, a sport experiencing a surge in viewership recently.

The Total Chess World Championship Tour, a series of tournaments featuring top players like Norwegian world number one Magnus Carlsen, is central to this venture. FIDE supports this system, which aims to crown a comprehensive champion across three formats: standard, rapid, and blitz chess.

A pilot tournament is scheduled for late 2026, with the official season commencing in 2027. Each season will feature at least four stages in different cities, offering a total prize fund of approximately 2,7 million USD, a significant amount compared to current chess tournaments.

Haaland expressed his conviction in the project's growth potential. "Chess is an incredible game," the 25-year-old forward stated. "It trains your mind and shares many similarities with football. You must think quickly, trust your intuition, and calculate several steps ahead."

The Man City star also aims to bring chess closer to a mass audience. "I believe the Total Chess World Championship Tour can make chess a more appealing sport for viewers worldwide," he added.

Organizers concurred with Haaland's vision. Kjell Madland, CEO of Norway Chess, views Haaland's participation as a clear indicator of the project's commercial potential. "Haaland possesses a massive global fanbase and can create special sporting moments," he stated.

This investment comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Haaland himself once admitted little interest in chess. In a 2020 interview, he even stated he "doesn't understand why friends like playing chess."

Chess is increasingly trending among footballers. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah once revealed he frequently plays online, with a rating of about 1,400. Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze notably won a celebrity chess tournament. Coach Pep Guardiola has frequently discussed the similarities between football tactics and chess thinking, even applying them to his coaching.

Born on 21/7/2000 in Leeds, United Kingdom, Haaland plays for the Norway national team. He developed through Norwegian clubs, then played for Salzburg, Dortmund, and Man City. He significantly contributed to Man City's 2023 Champions League victory, the most prestigious club tournament. In the same year, he won the Silver Ball, an award for the year's second-best player.

Xuan Binh (according to Chess, Guardian)