Erling Haaland needed three stitches after a freak accident involving a team bus door while on international duty with Norway. Despite the injury, he kept his spirits high, joking about the incident with fans and teammate Martin Odegaard.
Erling Haaland has been keeping spirits light while on international duty with Norway, despite picking up an unusual injury. The Manchester City striker needed three stitches after an accident with a team bus door but couldn’t resist having a laugh about it – even bringing Martin Odegaard into the joke.
A Freak Incident in Oslo
Fresh from scoring the winner in Norway’s 1-0 victory over Finland on Thursday, Haaland was with his teammates as they arrived at their hotel in Oslo. But in an unfortunate moment, the 25-year-old found himself standing too close to the bus trunk door, which swung open and struck him in the face. The blow left him with a cut below his lip that required medical attention and three stitches.
Never one to hide from the spotlight, Haaland posted a picture of the injury to Snapchat with the caption: “Just got banged out by a bus door. Three stitches.” He even asked fans for “wrong answers only” on how it happened. When one fan jokingly blamed Norway captain Odegaard, Haaland playfully replied, “Correct.”
Norway on the Rise
The timing of the accident won’t keep Haaland sidelined, and he remains focused on continuing Norway’s impressive World Cup qualifying campaign. The Scandinavians are chasing their first appearance at the tournament since 1998, and so far, the path looks promising. They’ve kicked off with four straight wins in Group I, sitting top of the table with a perfect record.
That run includes a standout 3-0 triumph over Italy in June, a result that sent shockwaves across Europe. Heading into Tuesday’s clash with Moldova – who have lost all four of their qualifiers – Norway are confident of tightening their grip on the group.
Haaland’s Form Leading the Way
Haaland has already chalked up four goals in qualifying, keeping Norway in charge and only trailing continent-wide leaders Memphis Depay and Andrej Kramarić, who both have five.
Cuts and stitches aside, Haaland remains front and center in Norway’s quest to finally end their 26-year wait for a World Cup appearance – with his trademark sense of humor still intact.