By Martin Graham
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland suffered an unusual injury while on international duty with Norway. The incident occurred after the squad returned to their team hotel, when a luggage door on the team bus swung open and struck the forward in the face. The impact left him with cuts to his lip and chin, causing bleeding but no serious damage.
Haaland received immediate attention from Norway’s team doctor, Ola Sand, who treated him at the hotel. Fortunately for the striker and his club, the injury is not expected to prevent him from participating in Norway’s upcoming World Cup qualifying fixture.
Social media humor amidst injury
Earlier on Thursday, Haaland had scored the only goal in Norway’s 1-0 friendly victory over Finland, extending his international record to 43 goals in 44 appearances. Despite the awkward accident, the striker maintained his usual humor, posting a selfie on social media showing the stitches he required.
He captioned the photo: “Just got banged out by a bus door. Three stitches.” Fans joined in with playful comments, and when one asked who had “punched” him, Haaland prompted followers to respond with “wrong answers only.” A fan jokingly suggested Norway and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, to which Haaland replied: “Correct.”
Norway focused on World Cup qualification
Norway, led by Ståle Solbakken, are preparing to host Moldova on Tuesday in their next World Cup qualifier. The team currently tops their group, winning all four matches played so far in the campaign.
In European qualification, only group winners earn a place at the 2026 World Cup, scheduled across Canada, Mexico, and the USA. Norway are aiming to secure their first appearance at the finals since 1998, when they reached the round of 16 in France.
