"Turning up in irrelevant matches as always" - Fans react as Erling Haaland nets hat-trick for Norway in international friendly
Fans expressed their opinions on social media as Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick for Norway against Kosovo in an international friendly on Wednesday (June 5), at Ullevaal Stadion. The match ended in a 3-0 win for the Lions.
The 23-year-old forward recently won the Premier League title for the second consecutive time with Manchester City. Since he arrived at Etihad in 2022, Haaland has been impressive with his gameplay. He scored 38 goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for the Premier League side this season.
Fans took to social media and flooded with posts about Erling Haaland's hat-trick in his home country. Some criticized the striker for his earlier performances for Norway, who did not qualify for Euro 2024. Here is a collection of their posts on X:
One fan wrote:
"Going to the Euros is where he draws the line😂😂😂."
Another added:
"He should be doing that in finals."
"Couldn't do it when it mattered the most, ghost of Norway just like that girl," chimed in another fan.
One account posted:
"Always delivers when the pressure isn’t much for his country. Fraud that one."
Another said:
"Where was he when they needed Euros qualification?"
One user wrote:
"Let‘s see if he can also do that at the EUROs… oh…"
While another wrote:
"Stat padding against unknown country. Vanish when his country needed him most lmao."
Erling Haaland made it to the Norway national team in 2019 and has scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 32 games for the nation so far.
Erling Haaland on his future at Manchester City
Manchester City star striker Erling Haaland spoke about his future at Etihad Stadium ahead of the new season. He joined the club in 2022 on a five-year contract following two seasons at the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.
When asked about his contract extension at Manchester City with the new season approaching, the Norwegian told TV2 (via journalist Fabrizio Romano's X handle):
"I've had two fantastic years and have three years left. That's really all I can say."
The 23-year-old forward did not go into the details of the situation and added:
"Are there ongoing talks? That's all I can say, what I just said."
During his two seasons under Pep Guardiola's management, Erling Haaland has also won the 2022–23 FA Cup, the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, and the 2023 UEFA Super Cup. Overall, he has scored 90 goals and provided 15 assists in 98 matches for Manchester City.