A man from Mumbai set himself an unusual fitness challenge: He promised to lose 20 kilograms in three months, but only if Norwegian football star Erling Haaland commented on his Instagram reel. To his surprise, the footballer did exactly that.

Mumbai-based Instagram user Sahil Gupta shared the video on his account, inviting Haaland to hold him accountable for his weight-loss journey.

In the video, Gupta was seen walking towards a life-sized cutout of Erling Haaland before posing beside it with a thumbs-up. An overlay on the clip read, "If Haaland comments under this reel, I will lose 20 kgs in the next 3 months."

The video was accompanied by the caption, "Come Haaland You Want Me To See Lean?"

Take a look at the post here:

What initially appeared to be a long-shot challenge soon turned into reality. Haaland himself spotted the reel and replied with a simple but motivating comment: "Starting now."

Haaland's comment carried extra significance given his global popularity. The Norwegian striker, widely regarded as one of the world's best forwards, is among football's biggest stars thanks to his prolific goal-scoring exploits for club and country.

Although Norway did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Haaland remained one of the tournament's most talked-about absentees, with fans frequently discussing how different the competition might have been had he featured.

His enormous social media following also means that even a brief comment from him often attracts widespread attention online.

The reel also received plenty of reactions from social media users. Before Haaland replied, many viewers had expressed confidence that the footballer would eventually notice the video, with one writing, "Just wait for it he will definitely come."

Others felt Gupta should not have waited for external motivation to begin his fitness journey. One user commented, "Forgot about waiting for others to say something. You should start when you feel it’s time."

Another praised the wholesome outcome, saying Haaland's reply had turned a simple social media challenge into real-life motivation.

- Ends

Published By:

Yashna Talwar

Published On:

Jul 22, 2026 12:36 IST