Erling Haaland was once again in the spotlight following Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday at the Etihad, but this time not only for his performance on the field, but also for a curious situation in his personal life.
During the match, both teams faced off in a heated contest that left shirts torn and featured some fairly physical play-something that did not sit well with the City star’s girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen.
Haaland’s girlfriend is not “happy” with him
During the match, the Norwegian engaged in an intense physical battle with Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães throughout the 90 minutes. Haaland even had to change his jersey after it was damaged in one of the collisions with Magalhães, who later appeared to try to headbutt him and received a yellow card for it.
That physical style of play, characteristic of the Premier League, is precisely what has caused some discomfort for his girlfriend. The striker himself explained that the constant blows and scratches he receives during matches do not amuse Johansen at all:
“They pulled my jersey and didn’t call a foul! That’s the Premier League: pure wrestling. Lots of duels and lots of scratches,” he said, referring to his altercation with Magalhães. “Sometimes my girlfriend isn’t too happy about it-it seems a bit weird! But that’s the reality,” he added.
Beyond the anecdote, Haaland also noted that he’s in great physical shape, especially after the international break with the Norwegian national team:
“Look how happy we were after the game. The break with the national team was good. I’m really glad they told me, ‘Relax,’ after having played 50 games this season,” Erling admitted.
So, even if he later has to explain his “battle scars,” Haaland is now focused on maintaining his scoring form as Manchester City continues to fight for titles in a decisive stretch of the season.
Meanwhile, he is also preparing for a bigger challenge: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Norway is in Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Iraq.
Norway will make its debut on June 17 against Iraq at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough at 3:00 PM ET. Its second match will be against Senegal on the 23rd at MetLife Stadium at 9:00 PM ET. Finally, it will close out the group stage against France on the 26th, returning to Gillette Stadium for a match that will kick off at 6:00 PM ET.
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