Soccer and the World Cup are pretty much headlining the sports universe these days. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find our man Shaq involved!
Shaquille O’Neal comparisons usually stay inside the basketball world. Every now and then you’ll hear someone mention an NFL defensive tackle or a heavyweight boxer. But a soccer striker? That doesn’t happen very often.
Leave it to sports personality Bill Simmons to make that leap.
As Erling Haaland continues his spectacular run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Simmons says the Norwegian goal machine reminds him of one of the most dominant forces the NBA has ever seen—young Shaquille O’Neal.
It’s a comparison that has basketball and soccer fans doing a double take.
Haaland has been one of the breakout stars of this year’s tournament, piling up seven goals while leading Norway on an unforgettable run into the World Cup quarterfinals. His latest masterpiece came against Brazil, where he scored twice in a stunning upset that instantly became one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
Watching Haaland bulldoze defenders and finish with remarkable consistency brought one name to Simmons’ mind: Shaq.
Speaking on his podcast, Simmons explained that Haaland combines several qualities from legendary NBA big men.
He compared Haaland’s dominance in the air to Shawn Kemp, saying any ball near the goal feels almost automatic. Then came the Shaq comparison, noting the striker’s ability to overpower defenders with pure strength, much like the young Lakers superstar did in the paint.
Simmons didn’t stop there.
He praised Haaland’s footwork by comparing it to Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the most skilled post players basketball has ever seen. And for a little fun, he joked that Haaland’s emotionless goal celebrations remind him of horror movie icon Michael Myers, calmly walking away while everyone else loses their minds.
It’s certainly one of the more creative player comparisons you’ll hear this year.
Of course, Shaq has long been the gold standard when people describe overwhelming physical dominance in sports. At 7-foot-1 and well over 300 pounds during his playing days, he routinely made elite defenders look helpless. If an athlete in another sport starts drawing Shaq comparisons, it’s usually because they’re doing something special.
Haaland certainly qualifies.
The Manchester City superstar has looked completely comfortable on the biggest stage despite entering his first World Cup. His combination of size, speed, athleticism and finishing ability has made him nearly impossible to contain.
His seven goals currently have him tied among the tournament’s leading scorers alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, placing him in some pretty elite company.
Now Norway faces perhaps its biggest challenge yet with a quarterfinal showdown against England.
If Haaland can keep his remarkable scoring streak alive and guide Norway one step closer to the championship, this World Cup could go down as one of the greatest breakout performances soccer has ever seen.
And if Bill Simmons is right, basketball fans may have just found the closest thing the soccer world has to watching a young Shaquille O’Neal dominate the paint.