“At 1-1, he started grabbing my ass” - Erling Haaland shares details of battle with Gianluca Mancini that fired him up to score twice in 4-1 win

Norway striker Erling Haaland has accused Italy's Gianluca Mancini of constantly grabbing him during the match. He admitted that it fired him up to score the brace in the 4-1 win in the FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Speaking to the media, Haaland claimed Mancini grabbed him, provoking him to hit out at the Italian defender. The Manchester City star joked that he thanked the AS Roma star for the motivation, which led to his brace and the 4-1 win. He told TV2 (via Mirror):

“At 1-1, he started grabbing my ass, and I thought, ‘what are you doing?’ So I fired myself up a bit and said to him, ‘thanks a lot for the motivation, let’s f*cking have it.’ Then I scored two goals, we win 4-1, so that’s great. Thanks to him!”

Talking about the result, Haaland said that he was delighted with the win as it put Norway on the map. He believes that it has made Norway a dark horse in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and said:

"It's probably the sickest result. The fact that we come here and win 4-1 is absolutely sick, and it shows that we are a bit unpredictable. It's pretty good for everyone to know."

Norway finished on top of their group, winning all eight matches, and sealed their place in the FIFA World Cup next summer, while Italy finished second and will now have to go through to the playoffs to qualify.

Jan Aage Fjortoft praises Erling Haaland after FIFA World Cup qualification

Jan Aage Fjortoft spoke to Manchester Evening News about Erling Haaland, heaping praise on the Norway star. He claimed that the striker has always been passionate and is now keen on success with the national team and said:

"Erling Haaland has always been passionate about improving as a player, passionate about doing the right moves for his career. You see it; it's like a step-by-step thing with him. He's passionate about winning the Premier League, the Champions League." "And then the only thing missing in that puzzle, at his young age, is success for your country. He's the son of a father who played at the World Cup, so I think that will calm the dinner table conversations a bit at the Haalands."

Erling Haaland-led Norway have qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1994.

Edited by Sripad