Norway and Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland revealed that Italy’s unorthodox attempts to put him off, including pinching his bum, “fired him up” for a performance which booked his nation’s spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Italy enjoyed a bright start to their final World Cup qualifier at San Siro against group leaders Norway on Sunday night. Gennaro Gattuso’s side raced into a 1–0 lead in the 11th minute through Francesco Pio Esposito—a player Haaland openly admitted to not knowing before kickoff—as they went in search of an unlikely thrashing to overturn Norway’s hulking goal-difference advantage.
