Haaland’s Anger Boils Over After Provocation, City Teammate Donnarumma Steps In
Erling Haaland admitted that he had to be restrained by his Manchester City teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma during Norway’s heated 2026 World Cup qualifying clash against Italy, and the reason was far from trivial.
The Norway striker revealed that Italian defender Gianluca Mancini provoked him by aggressively “grabbing his ass” during the match. With the game tied 1–1, Haaland said he confronted Mancini, telling him, “Thank you very much for the motivation, let’s f**king have it.” Moments after the altercation, Haaland netted two quick-fire goals and helped Norway secure a 4–1 win, sealing automatic qualification for the World Cup.
Donnarumma, who plays alongside Haaland at Manchester City, had to physically hold the 25-year-old back to prevent the situation from escalating.
Haaland’s performance in the match was decisive: he converted a spectacular volley to put Norway ahead, then followed up with a second goal shortly afterward.
With this game, Haaland finished the qualifying phase with 16 goals in eight matches, matching Robert Lewandowski’s record.
He also extended his personal streak of scoring in consecutive internationals to 11 matches, putting him alongside historic names in terms of consistency.
Meanwhile, his form for club and country remains remarkable, Haaland has scored 32 goals in 20 appearances this season.