Premier League rivals and national team-mates Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have made huge strides since private WhatsApp messages they sent each other were exposed.
A lot has changed for Premier League stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard since their texts were leaked as part of a national controversy. And things are mostly looking up for the better as the pair are currently on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The Norwegian talisman duo were each part of a group whose communications were exposed in a book released last year. The memoir not only broadcasts private discussions within the Norwegian camp, but also details Haaland’s direct conversations with Odegaard.
Text messages between the Premier League pair were published by NRK, which showed Haaland, who was playing for Borussia Dortmund at the time, sharing a screenshot of Dagbladet’s homepage. The question discussed the travel situation in Norway during the pandemic, and Odegaard, who was still at Real Madrid at the time, responded with seven Santa Claus emojis.
“The Battle of the National Team” caused major controversy after its release in 2024 due to internal leaks. Among the topics was Norway circumventing coronavirus protocols to maximize the number of players available for the UEFA Nations League.
Defender Omar Elabdellaoui tested positive for the coronavirus in November 2020. However, team doctor Asul B. Kelsen reportedly used an “ethically questionable loophole” to allow 19 Norwegian players, including Haaland, to represent their country.
read more: Erling Haaland’s decision means eight players could miss Man City vs. Everton match explainedread more: Manchester City star slams Norway coach: ‘Everything is missing’
Around the time this book was published, Norway was forced to sit out Euro 2024 after failing to qualify following a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Austria. But Haaland and Odegaard’s fortunes have completely changed over the past 12 months.
Not only are Norway on the rebound aiming for promotion in the Nations League, but they are also on the brink of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The country has not qualified for a major international tournament since playing at Euro 2000, but next month could end that quarter-century wait.
Norway are three points behind Italy in Group I of the UEFA qualifiers, with two games remaining, the last of which will be against each other. However, Stare Solbakken’s team can effectively qualify for next year’s North American competition if they defeat Estonia on November 13th.
Manchester City wonderland Haaland has been particularly prolific during this qualifying campaign, scoring 12 goals so far. To put this strike rate into perspective, Netherlands’ Memphis Depay is UEFA’s closest rival with seven goals.
Norway are aiming to secure a place in next year’s World Cup, with at least a playoff spot secured. But they could do even better than that if they beat Italy and take first place in their pool.
This turnaround is a credit to Solbakken and highlights how quickly things can change. In a way, some interpret it as how things have improved since the publication of this book.
“Obviously we don’t want something like this to leak out,” Genoa’s Norwegian midfielder Morten Torsby said at the time of the release. “We fully understand that people outside are interested in this, but this is something we must keep private and it is important that private messages between us remain within the group.”
Haaland was again heroic during the international break, scoring a hat-trick as Norway beat Israel 5-0. He will return to England early to face Odegaard’s Arsenal in a bid to reclaim the Premier League title.
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