Erling Haaland is going to have to watch the Cup from his sofa this winter. Norway failed to qualify for the competition. But the Manchester City striker might have been able (in another life) to compete in the World Cup with … England.
A player’s life and career sometimes depend on a few things. Ultra efficient in front of goal since the start of his professional career, Erling Haaland is a real phenomenon. The Norwegian string of goals like pearls on a necklace and made the heyday of Manchester City where he planted 23 goals in 17 games since his arrival.
At the level of his national team, Haaland is part of a golden generation that he embodies with Martin Odegaard. But the young Norwegian shooters failed to qualify for the World Cup and will watch (or not) the event from their sofa.
Aged 22, Haaland could have played his first World Cup on two conditions: that his country qualifies by the normal route or … that he was selected by England.
This is indeed what Haaland himself reveals in an interview with the Goal newspaper. “I lived here [en Angleterre] for three and a half or four years then I lived a long time in Norway so it was normal to choose Norway“, confided the striker.
Erling was born and lived for a few years in England during the time his father, Alf-Inge (a former football player), was at Manchester City. “You never know how it would have been if my dad had played longer in England, maybe I would be English. I do not know.“
But no question of speaking of regrets for the prodigy: “I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it“.
Haaland will therefore rest for the entire month that the tournament will last before returning to the block for the end of the year period which is always very busy in the Premier League.
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