Erling Haaland will be a big miss for Norway in their next match after the Manchester City striker was sent back to England
The international break has come to an early close for Erling Haaland after he was sent back to Manchester City. The hitman was once again crucial for Stale Solbakken’s Norway side as they thrashed Israel 5-0 on Saturday, leaving pundits stunned with yet another treble for his nation.
However, the 25-year-old will now turn his attention back to City matters after jetting back to England. That means he won’t feature for Norway when they take on New Zealand in a friendly fixture on Wednesday.
There’s nothing sinister about Haaland’s early departure, though, after Norwegian publication Dagbladet confirmed the move was “already planned in advance.” From this, it’s clear City and the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) had struck an agreement Haaland would only participate in the competitive fixture during Norway’s international window.
It’s simple to see the logic behind the decision given there’s scant reason to gamble with such a vital player in a friendly encounter with minimal significance. Furthermore, Haaland had already fulfilled his duties and left observers astounded following his most recent international display.
The Premier League’s leading goalscorer this season helped dismantle Israel with his second hat-trick in as many for his country, despite squandering two penalties. It was in September that Haaland bagged five goals in an 11-1 thrashing of Moldova, and he now possesses an incredible record of 51 goals in just 46 appearances for Norway.
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“He crushes [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and everyone else,” said TV 2’s Simen Stamsø-Møller in response to Haaland reaching 51 goals for his country so quickly. “He has done that since he started playing international football. He is a phenomenon.”
To give some perspective to Haaland’s stats, Messi had to earn 107 Argentina caps before he reached 51 goals, while Ronaldo made 114 appearances for Portugal before hitting the same tally. Harry Kane is his nearest competitor, having scored 51 times in 71 games for England, whilst Neymar needed 74 matches for Brazil to reach that figure.
Despite his obvious bias, Stamsø-Møller is spot on in recognising Haaland’s status as a football sensation. And he wasn’t alone in his admiration, with former national team coach Egil Olsen also singing the player’s praises.
“We have been spoiled with Haaland when it comes to scoring,” said the 83-year-old, who has managed Norway in two separate stints. “He scores goals, and it is very impressive.”
Ronaldo, 40, holds the record for the most international goals of any player in history, having scored 141 times in 224 appearances for his country. When asked if Haaland could aspire to reach the same level, Stamsø-Møller was confident it’s within his grasp.
“A lot depends on physique and possible injuries,” said the former Eliteserien striker. “But we see how good Haaland is at taking care of his body. His explosiveness is probably even more important to him than some of the physical aspects of Messi and Ronaldo.”
Haaland will likely enjoy a couple days of rest before getting back to the business at hand in Manchester. City host Everton in their Premier League comeback on Saturday seeking a third straight win.
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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