Any young, tall Scandinavian striker making his way at a high level is bound to be compared with Erling Haaland. Even more so when the goals keep flowing.
That applies to Bjarki Gardarsson. The 16-year-old Icelander joined Borussia Dortmund from UMF Stjarnan Gardabær in July. Gardarsson already stands at 1.94 metres, leaving him just one centimetre short of Haaland. He has also made a flying start at BVB, prompting plenty of comparisons on social media and in the wider media with the Norwegian superstar and former Dortmund player.
Playing for the Westphalians' Under-19s under coach Felix Hirschnagl, Gardarsson opened with two hat-tricks in his first two matches. In the 4-3 cup defeat against Holstein Kiel, his three goals still were not enough, partly because he had caused one of the goals conceded himself. A week later, in the league opener against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, the striker needed only 11 minutes for a perfect hat-trick, which was already on the scoreboard after 19 minutes.
IMAGOBjarki Gardarsson scored eight times in six games for BVB's Under-19s
Across the next four matches Gardarsson played for BVB, he added two more goals, including one as a substitute in the 1-1 draw in Duisburg. "Bjarki is very calm in front of goal, that is the outstanding quality he has. With some players the pulse rises and the finishes become inaccurate. But Bjarki is relaxed and brings that ice-coldness with him," coach Hirschnagl told Ruhr Nachrichten.
Before moving to Germany, the left-footer had already made his debut for Stjarnan's first team in the Besta deild, Iceland's top division. Aged 16 years, three months and six days at the time, he was the fifteenth-youngest player ever used at that level.
He had already shown that finishing touch in Iceland's youth national teams too. Gardarsson scored 10 goals in 18 appearances from Under-15 to Under-17. Only in recent days, he struck three times in the Under-17s' European Championship qualification. The sinus infection that ruled him out of a match at the start of September therefore appears not to have disrupted his form.
IMAGOWhat are BVB talent Bjarki Gardarsson's strengths?
BVB described him at the time of his transfer as a centre-forward whose strengths were his "physical presence, two-footedness and set-piece qualities". Thomas Broich, head of the youth academy, said: "Bjarki is a striker who is physically present and purposeful, and who also has a good feel for the penalty area. We have had him on our radar for quite a while and are very pleased that he has chosen BVB."
Gardarsson shared that himself on his Instagram channel, posting pictures from visits to Signal Iduna Park. He was in Dortmund as early as April 2025 to take a look at the set-up. Gardarsson also visited FC Copenhagen and Red Bull Salzburg and completed trial training sessions there, while PSV Eindhoven and Nordsjælland were also said to have been interested. But the Westphalians won the race for his signature.
Few inside football would have been surprised by that. BVB have an excellent reputation across Europe when it comes to this age group and have shown dozens of times in recent years that they can turn young talents into established professional footballers. And when a player of this age arrives from abroad, those in charge will always picture an even bigger outcome, a future with Dortmund's first team.
IMAGOBjarki Gardarsson's adviser is a legend of BVB rivals Schalke 04
Recently, though, that has happened too rarely, even if players such as Samuele Inacio, Luca Reggiani and Filippo Mane currently offer positive examples. Part of that is down to the already very high quality in BVB's professional squad. To truly establish yourself there takes extraordinary talent that only very few possess.
For strikers in particular, breaking into that line of professional forwards is especially tough. Youssoufa Moukoko, Bradley Fink and Julian Rijkhoff can all testify to that. Gardarsson still has an extremely long road ahead before he becomes the Icelandic Haaland.
Ebbe Sand knows that too. The legendary striker of BVB rivals Schalke 04 is Gardarsson's adviser. The Dane told Bild about his client: "Gardarsson is a great lad with a fantastic attitude. He knows where the goal is and has huge potential. But the boy is only 16 years old and can still improve in many areas, for example in building muscle mass. Just give him time!"
IMAGOBjarki Gardarsson once scored 31 goals in 14 games
So far, Gardarsson has backed up the hype with his performances. Two years ago, he scored 31 goals in 14 matches in Iceland's youth football. For Dortmund, he has underlined why the praise around him is so strong. Alongside his instinct in the penalty area, he has also impressed with his ability to hold up the ball as a target man. "He has a good nose for it, but he also brings his team-mates into play well and makes runs in behind," said Hirschnagl.
There is more to his game than simply leading the line. Gardarsson's father, Gardar Johannsson, made a total of 16 competitive appearances for the then second-division side Hansa Rostock in 2009/10. And in Iceland, as well as for the youth national teams, Gardarsson has also been used from time to time on the attacking flanks.
IMAGOWhich player is Bjarki Gardarsson similar to?
Even at his height, Gardarsson dribbles well in tight spaces, has pace and technique, and blends those qualities into sharp, agile movement. With his strong physicality, purposeful finishing and presence in dangerous areas, Nick Woltemade comes to mind more quickly than Haaland when you watch him play.
Still, whether it is Woltemade or Haaland, only time will show where his path with BVB leads. Perhaps Gardarsson's second given name, Hrafn, is a good omen. In Icelandic it means "raven", and they are known for their intelligence and ability to adapt to different environments. Either way, Gardarsson could hardly have made a better start in Dortmund, around 2,200 kilometres as the crow flies from his homeland.
BVB talent Bjarki Gardarsson at a glance
Date of birth | 11 February 2010 |
Height | 1.94 metres |
Nationality | Iceland |
Stronger foot | Left |
Competitive matches/goals for BVB Under-19s | 6/8 |
Contract at BVB until | 2029 |