Why Erling Haaland Left Norway Squad Suddenly Ahead of International Duty?

Norwegian star Erling Haaland has left the Norway national team squad ahead of the international friendly fixture against New Zealand. This comes just after Haaland's brilliant performance against Moldova and Israel in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026. Haaland has left the Norway national team squad to prioritise Manchester City for the upcoming games in the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and the Carabao Cup. In this article, we find out how Haaland's absence could impact Norway, and was choosing club over country the right call for the Norwegian striker?

Haaland's Norway Set To Make History by Qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2026

The last time Norway played at the FIFA World Cup was 26 years ago, when Haaland was not even in his mother's womb. Despite being drawn in a tough group alongside four-time world champions Italy, Norway did well to win all of their games, including an 11-1 win over Moldova and a 3-0 thrashing of Italy. They are just two wins away from creating history. The main protagonist of this story has been none other than Erling Haaland, who played a crucial role in scoring a lot of goals for Norway and helping them clinch the top spot. Norway will next play their friendly game against the New Zealand national football team, and many sources claim that Haaland had already informed prior about his absence from the international window post the qualifier fixtures.

Guardiola Needs Haaland for Manchester City Duty

The indomitable Manchester City had a rare trophyless season last year, and the Blues did not have an ideal start to the new season after defeats to Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur. Their recent UCL fixture shockingly ended in a draw against Monaco. They need wins to climb the PL table and aspire for a top-eight finish in the Champions League. They have two PL fixtures lined up against Everton and Aston Villa, and will face Villarreal next in the UCL fixture. Haaland is not just City's top scorer but also the leading goalscorer in this tournament so far. Guardiola would rely upon his goal-scoring abilities to convert those draws into wins and bring back those old golden days at the Etihad.