Life in the New York New Jersey Stadium or the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford was mundane two days before the marquee last-16 clash between Brazil and Norway.
There was hardly any soul around, barring a few security guards and Fifa personnel. The sun was beating down the vast expanse of the imposing stadium and it was all quiet and calm.
It seemed as if the sun-drenched stadium was waiting with bated breath for the clash that would pit one of the world’s most lethal strikers against a defence which has the potential to be at its meanest best.
Erling Haaland, who scores goals at will for his club Manchester City, will have a test of character against Brazil’s back-four, led by Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos and Arsenal central defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Ever since Haaland burst onto the scene with his goal-scoring exploits for RB Salzburg in 2019, the world could only watch in awe. A brief spell with Borussia Dortmund and then the switch over to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the summer of 22, Haaland has turned into a beast.
The six-foot-plus frame, flowing hair and enormous power make Haaland one of the most dangerous players to contain. His left foot is venomous.
Norwegians have their own ways of looking at life. Haaland took the world by surprise by saying he couldn’t care too much about the game against France. This was after news came out that Norway coach Stale Solbakken will rest a glut of first-team players against France.
Haaland embraces a simpler approach to fitness, which includes chopping wood, hiking in the mountains, and meditating on a rock in the middle of a river.
Compatriot and world chess champion Magnus Carlsen spent the whole night in a swimming pool after defeating Viswanathan Anand for the first of his five world championship titles, in 2013 in Chennai. And then a few years later, he announced he would not be part of the World Chess Championship cycle due to a severe lack of motivation and enjoyment.
Haaland on Sunday will need a lot of mental strength. He will be up against Gabriel for the first time in the national team shirt and the Brazilian will definitely try to provoke him.
Haaland and Gabriel’s confrontations during the Manchester City versus Arsenal clashes have been a regular feature. Gabriel is 6 feet 3 inches, imposing and
at times physical. His aggressive man-marking style makes him the perfect man to neutralise the opponent team’s main man.
During an April 2026 Premier League title race clash between City and Arsenal, Gabriel physically grabbed Haaland during a chase for the ball, yanked at the striker’s arm and tore his thermal undershirt.
The feud started in the 2024-25 season, when Haaland scored a late equaliser against Arsenal, and then threw the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head.
“What happens on the football pitch stays there,” Haaland had said. “It’s a battle, a war, so it’s normal to have provocative acts in football. It’s part of the game.”
Gabriel has been known to aggressively respond to Haaland, once screaming right in the Norwegian’s face following an early goal.
“I did it (the celebration) because he threw the ball at my head, to provoke him the way he provoked me,” Gabriel had said.
Haaland has five goals under his belt and Norway will hope he adds more to the tally in New Jersey. In the World Cup qualifiers, Haaland scored 16 goals in eight games.
Sunday promises to be a game of physical battle between Haaland and Gabriel. The world is waiting to see who blinks first.