Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has revealed the bizarre incident that sparked his furious confrontation with Italian defender Gianluca Mancini during Norway's historic World Cup qualification victory.
The Touch That Triggered Haaland's Fury
According to the Norwegian striker, the animosity between the two players escalated dramatically in the second half when Mancini allegedly began touching him inappropriately. Norway secured their place at next year's World Cup with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Italy, marking their first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
"At 1-1 he started touching my backside, and I thought: 'What are you doing?'" Haaland told Norwegian channel TV 2. "I started getting a bit fired up and told him: 'Thank you very much for the motivation.'"
Perfect Qualification Campaign
The confrontation proved costly for Italy as Haaland exacted immediate revenge, scoring twice to seal Norway's qualification. The Norwegians completed their qualifying campaign with a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches, scoring 37 goals while conceding just five.
Haaland's brace took his remarkable tally to 31 goals for club and country this season, ensuring he will follow in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge by leading Norway at a World Cup finals.
Milan Celebrations and Italian Capitulation
The Norwegian squad celebrated their achievement in style, beginning with a team hotel meal before being driven to central Milan at 2am. According to reports from Norwegian media outlet VG, the players entered a nightclub through the back door, possibly to avoid encountering frustrated Italian fans.
Despite knowing they needed to overcome a nine-goal deficit to surpass Norway, Italy's second-half collapse angered their supporters, particularly after Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen added a 93rd-minute fourth goal to compound the humiliation.
Haaland's first goal came from an unstoppable finish following Oscar Bobb's pass, with his second arriving less than a minute later - a close-range strike that silenced the San Siro and left Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stunned.
