Haaland Drops Bombshell About the Bizarre Secret That Fueled His Italy Masterclass

Norway and Manchester City star Erling Haaland disclosed that Italy's unconventional tactics to distract him, including grabbing his backside, actually "motivated him" for a display that secured his country's place at the 2026 World Cup.

Italy began their crucial World Cup qualifier strongly at San Siro against group frontrunners Norway on Sunday evening. Gennaro Gattuso's team took an early 1–0 advantage in the 11th minute via Francesco Pio Esposito—a player Haaland confessed to being unfamiliar with prior to kickoff—as they sought an improbable rout to overcome Norway's substantial goal-difference lead.

However, the flood of goals the Azzurri required never materialized, and Norway equalized through Antonio Nusa just past the hour mark.

Haaland had stayed largely uninvolved in the match up to this stage, managing no shots or touches within Italy's penalty area during the first 76 minutes. That's when Gianluca Mancini provoked the striker.

"At 1–1 he began grabbing my backside," Haaland explained to TV 2 after the match. "I wondered, 'What are you doing?' Then I became somewhat motivated and told him, 'Thanks a lot for the inspiration, let's f------ go.'

"Then I netted two goals, we triumph 4–1, so that's excellent. Thank you very much to him!"

For the first time since 1998, Norway have qualified for the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/lnLZqM4dNN

After escaping Mancini's grasp to create room within Italy's penalty box, Haaland unleashed a fierce, waist-high volley beyond his Manchester City colleague Gianluigi Donnarumma to give Norway the lead. Scarcely a minute later, Haaland received another delivery into the area, placing a clever first-touch finish into the distant corner to establish Norway's commanding victory.

"That's likely the most incredible outcome," Haaland commented on a World Cup qualifying run that has delivered an exceptional eight victories from eight matches for Norway. "That we arrive here and triumph 4–1 is completely remarkable, and it demonstrates that we are somewhat unpredictable. It's quite beneficial for everyone to understand."

Haaland: This Is the Beginning of Something Special

While many were rejoicing over Norway's World Cup qualification—the first time the men's squad had accomplished this since 1998, two years prior to Haaland's birth—their star player was already thinking ahead. "I believe this is the beginning of something special," he declared.

It's important to note that Norway's dominance over Italy occurred without Arsenal's sidelined Martin Ødegaard, arguably the nation's most gifted player besides Erling Haaland. The pair have secured victory in their previous seven international matches together, combining to score or provide assists for an impressive 21 goals during that period.

City's striker has demonstrated his ability to find the net even without the country's primary playmaker, scoring in each of his past 13 international appearances for Norway.

Despite his future aspirations, Haaland intended to savor the present moment. "We'll likely indulge in a bit of everything, it's rare that we do this," he chuckled. "I believe we've deserved this now that we've finally reached a major tournament."

Norway's History at Men's World Cups