Julian Edelman Dubs Erling Haaland as “European Gen Z Gronk” Amid Norway’s World Cup High

Julian Edelman says Norway forward Erling Haaland reminds him of his former Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski.

Julian Edelman Dubs Erling Haaland as “European Gen Z Gronk” Amid Norway’s World Cup High

Erling Haaland, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman inside the circle (Image via Yardbarker/X)

Erling Haaland’s brace against Brazil helped Norway qualify for its first-ever quarterfinal appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Their next opponent is England.

Meanwhile, Team USA’s WC journey ended with a 4-1 defeat against Belgium. That does not mean someone like Julian Edelman will stop following the remaining games.

Edelman, the former New England Patriots wide receiver, is looking forward to witnessing Haaland’s greatness against the Three Lions. To share how excited he is, Edelman compared the 6-foot-5-inch forward to his former Patriots teammate, Rob Gronkowski.

I play FIFA [EA Sports soccer video game] a lot, so I’m kind of.. I know a little bit about [Haaland]… He’s unreal. That dude’s like the European Gen Z Gronk [Rob Gronkowski]. I love how he gets on Snapchat after the game and answering fans, doing goofy stuff—putting Cowboy hats on… It’s been really fun.

Julian Edelman told Yahoo Sports hosts Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton

Gronkowski, a graduate of the University of Arizona, played the initial years of his NFL career with the Patriots, lining up alongside Edelman and quarterback Tom Brady. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots before joining Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a fourth ring.

Gronk caught 621 passes for 9286 yards and scored 92 touchdowns in 142 games. He earned four All-Pro and five Pro Bowl honors.

The Patriots drafted Edelman in the seventh round. He played 137 games, caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards, and scored 36 touchdowns. Edelman won three rings and the Super Bowl MVP in 2018-19. Brady tried to lure him to Tampa, but he declined and retired a one-club man.

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NFL analyst explains why Team USA needs someone like Erling Haaland

With the WC taking place in their own backyard, experts expected Team USA to make a good run. After winning their group, Team USA defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first knockout game, setting up a big clash against the sixth-best soccer nation in the world.

Julian Edelman Dubs Erling Haaland as European Gen Z Gronk Amid Norway's World Cup High
Erling Haaland (Image via Yardbarker)

Folarin Balogun’s availability increased their chances. However, the Belgians proved a difficult team to break down. The European powerhouse scored four goals, advancing to the quarters.

A day later, Norway took down the five-time world champions in Atlanta. Haaland scored his first with a header and smashed a long shot past Brazil goalkeeper Alison Becker to record a famous win.

FOX Sports NFL analyst Colin Cowherd believes Team USA needs a player like Haaland to compete against the bigger soccer nations.

[Christian] Pulisic is fragile, that is not debatable. We are a big country and an athletic country. I think we are fast, I think we are athletic, we are not terribly big, and I think that hurts us on the back end. The Belgian striker [Romelu Lukaku], at 6-foot-4, looked monstrous. What would Erling Haaland look like against us? Gronk against a junior high. We need some size. [Erling] Haaland is big, tactically excellent, excellent finisher, check, check, check. We tend to have like 1 to 2 of those boxes checked.

Cowherd said on The Herd

Pulisic is facing immense criticism for Team USA’s failure. Former USWNT star and WC winner Carli Lloyd singled out the AC Milan winger for Team USA’s exit.

You wanted some of the big time players to step up in big moments, and I’ve got to be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Christian Pulisic. I think, whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game and really the whole World Cup.

Lloyd said in her role as a Fox Sports analyst

It’s back to the drawing board for the men’s team. The women’s team is preparing to redeem the nation’s pride in Brazil 2027.

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