Haaland regrets World Cup absence and names favourites

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By Martin Graham | 17th Nov 2022

Haaland has admitted that he regrets the absence of Norway at the World Cup in Qatar. The Norwegian striker hopes Norway will qualify for future tournaments.

Every World Cup has its fair share of great players that miss the tournament. They are absent, either to injury or because their countries failed to qualify. The Qatar World Cup is no different, with several great players watching the tournament from the stands or on their TV. It is the nature of the game, as not everyone would make the party.

Some players that will miss the World Cup include Paul Pogba, Ngolo Kante, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Presnel Kimpembe. Others include Sergio Ramos, Mat Hummels, Jadon Sancho and Ferland Mendy. Whether it is injury or the manager’s decision, fans will miss the quality of some top players.

One notable name that will miss the World Cup is Erling Haaland. Norway failed to qualify for the tournament, which means the World Cup has lost the brilliance of the Manchester City striker. Haaland could not hide his desire to feature at the World Cup and has named his favourites to win it.

Haaland regrets World Cup absence

All football discussions have shifted from the leagues to the World Cup in Qatar. The tournament that takes centre stage every four years has been in the news for different reasons, but it seems to have moved to the football expected to be on display. Erling Haaland will not feature in the tournament, and it is a big miss for football.

The Man City striker said he wishes he could play in Qatar. For the 22-year-old striker, the reality on the ground is that he will not feature. Haaland told Sky Sports he will relax his body and mind a lot and then will train. The Norwegian bomber said things worked well for him in his first few months at Man City, and he does not need to make so many changes.

Norway finished third in their group behind the Netherlands and Turkey. It means the Norwegian frontman will have some time off domestic football as he prepares for the Premier League resumption in late December.

Haaland picks his favourites to win the World Cup

There are several top teams at the World Cup. They include the defending champions France, Argentina, Brazil and Germany. It is hard to make a call on who will win the tournament, but Haaland is sticking his neck out for two teams at the Mundial. Haaland picked Brazil and England among the teams he thinks could win the Mundial.

In a chat with Sky Sports, Haaland said the favourites are Brazil, Argentina, France, and maybe England. The Man City striker said he could not say one team that was a slam dunk to win it as there are many good teams at the tournament.

Haaland played only six of the World Cup qualifying matches by Norway. He scored five goals in the World Cup qualifiers and then hit six in six games during the Nations League. Haaland wants Norway to qualify for future tournaments. He knows it is arduous, and the biggest thing they could do is get to either the World Cup or the Euros. Haaland said that is his goal for Norway.