Erling Haaland's rise from unknown entity to global superstar has happened at a rapid pace.

Less than two years to be exact. Back in the summer of 2019, Haaland first announced himself to the world at the U-20 World Cup.

The Norwegian prodigy famously scored nine goals in a 12-0 victory over Honduras and his performances at the tournament earned him a move from Molde to Red Bull Salzburg.

In Austria, Haaland quickly became the most sought-after striker in world football, scoring a ridiculous 29 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions.

Europe's elite battled for his coveted signature, but the Leeds-born wunderkind opted for a switch to Borussia Dortmund, a move that's paid dividends for both club and player.

Haaland has netted 41 goals in just 42 games with the German giants, with his most recent masterclass coming on Wednesday night in the Champions League versus Sevilla.

Haaland battles with a Sevilla player

The 20-year-old scored twice in Dortmund's 3-2 win and was unplayable from the get-go, further cementing his status as one of the world's finest players.

Football just looks too easy for Haaland right now, but that certainly wasn't always the case. While at Molde in his native Norway, he was viewed as nothing special by his teammates.

That was until the striker spent a period out with injury and during that time, Haaland grafted in the gym and subsequently underwent a quite incredible physical transformation.

His former teammate Ruben Gabrielsen, who now plays for Ligue 2 side Toulouse, recalled Haaland's evolution into a muscular footballing machine in an interview last year. 

Haaland in action

"When he came to the club, he was a small guy… he was not so good to be honest with you. I was just thinking 'yeah, maybe he can play in Norway'," Gabrielsen told GFFN.

"And then he got sick and injured, and we didn’t see him for a long time, and he came back big as f***… he was so big! He was a different animal!

"He was killing everybody in training… we just started laughing and I was like, 'Who is this guy?' And then it just skyrocketed from there. I’m just laughing when I see him on the telly and he’s banging in goals in the Champions League.

"I’m just laughing. And when he bullies defenders, I’m just laughing because I’ve been there!"

Haaland at Molde

Haaland & Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Haaland in action with Molde

In the images above during his days at Molde, you can see that Haaland didn't possess anything close to the supreme physical prowess that's helped him reach the upper echelons of the game.

These days, the guy is an absolute beast, as is evident in more recent photos of the Dortmund man below.

Haaland's body transformation

Haaland swimming
Haaland in the gym
Haaland in Dortmund training
Haaland's leg muscles

Haaland's leg muscles in the final photo of the four are absolutely insane and it's no wonder the guy can strike a football harder than most.

The Norwegian now looks as if he was designed in a footballing laboratory, as he just doesn't possess a single physical flaw.

He's tall, strong and deceptively rapid, attributes that are going to give defenders nightmares for years to come.