For most football fans, getting a response from Erling Haaland on social media is a long shot.
For eight-year-old Dubai resident Qasim Qadir, it turned into a ticket to the FIFA World Cup.
What began as a playful challenge from his father quickly became a viral sensation that saw the young footballer travel thousands of kilometres from Dubai to Boston to watch his idol make his World Cup debut for Norway.
On June 7, Qasim posted a video on Instagram with a simple request.
“Help me get to the World Cup!” he wrote.
In the clip, the young Manchester City fan explained that his father had promised to take him from Dubai to Boston if Haaland liked the video. He also highlighted why friends call him “Mini Haaland”, pointing out that he had not cut his hair for three years to match the Norwegian striker’s look and that he played for Manchester City’s academy in Dubai.
The challenge was initially meant as a joke.
“We were already planning to travel to the US in July, which is something we do every year,” his father, Shujah Qadir, told Khaleej Times.
“Qasim’s mother is American, and we usually spend time there during the summer. But Qasim was worried because Norway might be eliminated before we arrived, and he wouldn’t get the chance to see Haaland play in the World Cup.”
Norway’s opening match was scheduled for June, weeks before the family’s planned trip.
“He kept saying, ‘I want to go now. I want to watch Haaland. I don’t want to wait until July,’” said Shujah.
“So I jokingly told him, ‘Let’s make a video. If Erling Haaland likes it, I’ll take you all the way to Boston to watch his World Cup debut.’”
The video was filmed during a private football training session and uploaded without much expectation.
“We shot it maybe twice. It was completely spontaneous,” Shujah said. “You can see the joy on his face, and I think that’s what people connected with.”
The response was immediate.
A post that would normally attract a few thousand views quickly surged into the hundreds of thousands.
“My wife and I were out with friends when the video started taking off,” he recalled.
“It went from a few thousand views to 10,000, then 50,000, then 100,000, and eventually 200,000. It was close to midnight when I saw a notification pop up on my phone saying, ‘Erling has commented.’”
At first, he thought it couldn’t be real.
“I showed my wife and said, ‘This can’t be true.’ We were almost nervous to open it.”
But the comment was genuine.
Haaland had replied with four simple words: “See you there.“
The couple decided not to wake their son immediately and instead waited until the next morning.
“I handed him my phone and asked what he would do if Haaland had commented,” Shujah said.
“He said he’d be so excited. Then he opened the comments, saw Haaland’s message and started running around the house.”
Days later, on June 13, Qasim announced to his followers that his dream had come true.
“My dad kept his promise,” he wrote.
The family travelled to the United States, first attending Brazil’s match against Morocco in New York before heading to Boston for Norway’s World Cup opener.
For Qasim, who plays in Manchester City’s elite academy programme in Dubai and regularly trains with players older than himself, football has always been more than a hobby.
“We realised very early that football wasn’t a phase,” his father said. “It’s the only sport he’s ever wanted to play.”
The trip also brought the family as close as possible to the player who inspired it all.
After being contacted by Norwegian media following the viral post, the family learned where Norway’s team would be arriving in Boston and joined supporters waiting outside the hotel.
“We stood there hoping to catch a glimpse of him,” said Shujah.
“Qasim was only a few feet away when Haaland got off the team bus. Unfortunately, he didn’t stop for autographs that day, but Qasim was thrilled just being that close.”
The experience was enough for the young fan.
For Qasim, Haaland represents everything he loves about football.
“He’s a goal-scoring machine,” Qasim said. “He plays with joy, he’s aggressive on the pitch, and he plays for Manchester City.”
Asked what he will remember most, Qasim’s answer is simple.
A social media challenge that started in Dubai became a World Cup journey, all thanks to a promise, a viral video and four words from his football hero: “See you there.”
Source: Khaleej Times