In only a few weeks, Erling Haaland may have been representing England in the 2022 World Cup if things had gone differently.
The 22-year-old has made 23 appearances for Norway at the international level and has scored 21 goals during an incredible run of form.
As a result of Norway’s failure to qualify, he will not be attending the inaugural winter showpiece in Qatar.
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In a different reality, Haaland might have started at center back for Gareth Southgate’s team in Group B matches against Iran, the US, and Wales.
This is due to the fact that Haaland was actually born in Leeds, England in 2000, while his father Alf-Inge was playing football at Elland Road.
The three years Haaland Sr. spent at Manchester City after that influenced his decision to sign with the Premier League winners years later.
The former Borussia Dortmund player claims that if his father had visited England more frequently, he might have ended up playing for the nation.
“I lived in Norway for such a long time and I lived here [England] for three and a half or four years, so it was logical for me to select Norway,” Haaland told Goal.
“You never know how things would turn out if my father had played in England for a longer period of time or whatever; perhaps I would be English.
I’m proud to be a Norwegian, but yeah.
Haaland was never truly an option for England, according to Southgate in 2020, because he was “tied up” with Norway, which he had represented at various young levels.
Several of Haaland’s City teammates, including the five individuals named to Southgate’s 26-man squad on Thursday, will compete in the World Cup.
Many people had assumed that Haaland would spend the international break aiming at Scott Carson on the City Football Academy campus.
Pep Guardiola speculates that his talisman may be unwinding in Haaland’s preferred vacation spot of Marbella, though.
Guardiola stated at a news conference that “He will be in Marbella for sure, maybe in Norway.” How well he performs in Marbella will determine how effective he is in the second half of the season.
“I have no doubt that he will enjoy attending the World Cup and perhaps the following one or the Euros. But he also has a house in Marbella, where he can go and play golf while, hopefully, abstaining from excessive eating and drinking.”