Football Star Haaland Joins Chess Revolution With Dubai In The Frame

2026-06-01 02:40:14

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) How do you convince one of the world's biggest football stars to invest in a chess project with ambitions of reaching Dubai? For Kjell Madland, the answer began with a long-shot dream.

Speaking exclusively to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of Norway Chess in Oslo, Madland, the always jovial CEO of the annual event once dubbed the Wimbledon of Chess by none other than the great Garry Kasparov, revealed the untold story behind how Erling Haaland – the global face of Manchester City and one of football's biggest commercial superstars – eventually signed up as an investor in the newly launched Total Chess project.

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“For me, getting Erling involved had been a dream for a very long time,” Madland said, with a beaming smile that comes with the sudden realisation of a long-cherished dream.“There is simply no bigger Norwegian sports personality globally right now. So of course, for us, he was the number one target.”

The investment, announced earlier this March through Haaland's company Chess Mates, a firm he founded with fellow Norwegian businessman Morten Borg, immediately sent shockwaves through both the sports and chess worlds.

Haaland himself had spoken about the investment in strategic terms in March at the time of the announcement.“I'm investing in Norway Chess because I believe the new Total Chess World Championship Tour can turn chess into an even bigger sport for spectators around the world,” he said at the time of the announcement.“The team behind Norway Chess has already done an impressive job growing the event, and joining the project was too exciting to pass up.”

But according to Madland, the conversations had begun a long ago – quietly and cautiously.

“In the beginning, it was more about contacting his team and seeing if there was any interest,” he explained.“There were meetings, discussions and presentations over time. Then Morten [Borg], who also had connections with them, became very important in helping continue those conversations.”

Madland admitted Haaland was not approached just because he was a lifelong chess fanatic.“He is becoming more interested in chess now, but it was not really because he was already a huge chess player,” Madland said with a smile.“What interested him more was the sports side of it – the opportunity to build something global.”

That sporting vision, Madland believes, resonated strongly with Haaland, whose own career has unfolded inside one of the world's most commercially successful football ecosystems at Manchester City – a club deeply connected with Abu Dhabi and hugely followed across the Gulf region through its association with Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE.

“He saw that maybe he could contribute ideas himself,” Madland revealed.“Because he is inside elite sport every single day, he understands what modern audiences want, how sports grow, how fans engage.”

The global stage

The Total Chess World Championship Tour – FIDE-approved for a minimum of 16 years – will consist of four annual tournaments across four host cities, culminating in the crowning of a FIDE World Combined Champion. A pilot event is scheduled for autumn 2026, with the full championship season launching in 2027. Annual prize money will be a minimum of $2.7 million (Dh9.9m).

Madland is clear-eyed about what Haaland brings beyond capital.“He has an enormous global following and is truly world-class when it comes to creating magical sporting moments,” he said.“The fact that Erling is joining us as an investor says a great deal about the commercial potential of this Tour.”

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich echoed the sentiment at the launch:“Seeing a world-class athlete like Erling Haaland join the Total World Chess Championship Tour is a powerful signal of the global attention and cultural relevance that chess enjoys today.”

The proof of concept

Yet, crucially, Madland said, Haaland and his team wanted proof that the project had substance.“It was important that we could show what Norway Chess has already achieved,” he said.“Not just talk. We showed the innovations, the growth, the global attention the tournament has created over many years. That built trust.”

Norway Chess, now in its 14th edition and taking place for the first time this year in the capital Oslo, has become known for pushing elite chess into a more broadcast-friendly direction with innovations such as Armageddon tiebreaks, player confession booths and fan-focused production formats.

According to Madland, Haaland's camp actively engaged with those ideas during discussions.“He absolutely had questions and thoughts,” Madland said.“Not only him, but also his team. They were interested in what chess can become in the future as a global sports product.”

The announcement generated headlines far beyond the chess world, something Madland said underlined exactly why Haaland's involvement matters.“When someone like Erling Haaland enters chess, people pay attention immediately,” he said.“And that is important not only for Norway Chess or Total Chess, but for the entire chess world.”

Madland added that many within chess saw the partnership as a sign that the sport is finally breaking into mainstream global sporting culture.“A lot of people far away from our organisation contacted us saying they felt proud,” he said.“Because it shows that major athletes see chess as something important, modern and exciting.”

The Dubai vision

Madland confirmed that the Gulf region is firmly in the frame as a potential host for a future leg of the Tour – a FIDE-approved global circuit that will crown the world's most complete chess player across three disciplines: Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz. The Middle East, he hinted, could eventually become part of that long-term global expansion.

“It is a very interesting area for us,” Madland told regional media.“If it is possible to get good venues and good sponsors, that is one thing which is important for us. Hopefully it will be possible to do something in this area.”

Having previously used Dubai to make Norway Chess-related announcements last year including that of region's first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Rouda Al Serkal to play in the open category, the organisers are now openly exploring future opportunities in the Gulf.“Dubai is extremely interesting,” Madland said.“It has amazing venues, international visibility, ambitious companies and a strong sports culture. It could absolutely fit a future Total Chess event.”

While there are currently no confirmed plans involving Haaland appearing at Norway Chess during this year's edition, Madland did not completely rule out future collaborations between the football superstar and chess icon Magnus Carlsen.

“You never know what can happen,” he said, smiling.

For now, Haaland's biggest battles remain on the football pitch as Norway prepares to play at the Fifa World Cup for the first time since France 1998. But behind the scenes, one of sport's most recognisable faces is already helping chess think bigger, bolder and far more global.

And if Total Chess eventually lands under the lights of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the first move may well have begun with a quiet conversation between Norway Chess and a Manchester City superstar.