International
Haaland Released From Norway Squad to Rest Ahead of Manchester City Return
Haaland was sent home by Norway to rest, returning to Manchester City before the Everton match. Sat.
Norway manager Ståle Solbakken confirmed Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was released from the national squad at the weekend to allow him a period of rest.
Solbakken dismissed Haaland ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against New Zealand, but clarified the decision was not driven by fitness concerns. The Norway boss said he wanted to protect players who had been carrying heavy midweek workloads in recent weeks. “Everyone who has played a lot in the Champions League was told to go home, except Patrick Berg who refused to go home,” he revealed. “Everyone who has played regularly with midweek matches, or had some minor problems.”
That management of minutes extends to Haaland, who will return to Manchester City and be available for domestic action. He will have time to recover before City’s next fixture, a home match with Everton scheduled for Saturday.
New Zealand manager Darren Bazeley welcomed the absence but acknowledged Haaland’s influence. “I don’t know if it’s disappointing not to play against him, but it will be easier. He is a great goalscorer, when he is not on the pitch they are not as good.”
Haaland, 25, has had a prolific start to the season. He has scored 12 goals in nine appearances and was held without a goal in only one match, a 2–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in late August. Nine of those strikes have come in the Premier League, giving him an early lead in the Golden Boot race.
Behind him in scoring are Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo with six goals, and Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony and Brentford’s Igor Thiago on four. The national team’s decision to rest players who have been heavily involved in midweek fixtures reflects a wider trend of managing workload for top-level attackers and protecting form across club and country commitments.
International
Haaland hits 50 in 46 games and climbs past Pelé on international goals list
Haaland reached 50 goals in 46 games for Norway, surpassing Pelé’s milestone in fewer matches, more.
Erling Haaland completed a hat-trick on Saturday night to reach 50 international goals for Norway in just his 46th appearance. The milestone moves him ahead of Pelé on the all-time list and into fifth place among the fastest scorers in male international football.
By reaching the half-century mark in fewer than 50 matches, Haaland became just the sixth male footballer to do so and the first player in 53 years to reach 50 goals in under 50 appearances. Pelé needed 49 games to reach the same total; Haaland needed 46.
The scale of the achievement is underscored by comparison with other leading figures at the same stage of their international careers. After 46 appearances, Cristiano Ronaldo had 17 goals for Portugal, while Lionel Messi had 13 for Argentina.
There were chances for an even larger total on the night. He saw a first-half penalty saved before the referee ordered a retake, which the City striker once again failed to convert.
Reactions from inside the Norway camp reflected the sense of rarity around the feat. “There are no words to describe him,” Norway assistant Kent Bergersen proclaimed. “There are no words that can do him justice. He scores goals in every possible way.” Teammate Alexander Sørloth added: “You think you’ve seen everything, but he just gets better and better. There’s nothing he can’t do. His statistics are unbelievable.” “I discovered that he’s from the same planet as the rest of us,” manager Ståle Solbakken laughed.
The list of players who reached 50 international goals in the fewest matches now reads: Poul Nielsen (36), Gerd Müller (41), Ferenc Puskás (41), Sándor Kocsis (42), Erling Haaland (46), Pelé (49). Haaland’s rapid accumulation of goals has altered the narrative of international scoring records and placed him among the most efficient finishers in the history of the men’s game.
International
Fernandes: Enjoy the Moment as Saudi Exit Talk Persists
Bruno Fernandes says he cannot imagine a Saudi move next summer but will not dismiss a surprise exit
Bruno Fernandes addressed growing talk about a possible move to Saudi Arabia while on international duty, insisting his focus remains on the national team even as speculation intensifies. The Manchester United midfielder described the idea of leaving next summer as difficult to picture but stopped short of ruling out a surprise departure from Old Trafford.
“That’s an impossible scenario to imagine, because it’s nothing that’s been discussed with me,” he stressed. The 31-year-old said he prefers to remain present and concentrate on current commitments. “I like to enjoy the moment, and the most important thing for me now is representing the national team.
“It’s a source of enormous pride to be able to play [for Portugal on Saturday], and I still don’t know if I’ll play, let alone if I’ll leave Manchester United in a year.
“It’s not something that worries me. I’m happy where I am, otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed. But it’s something that honestly doesn’t really bother me.”
United’s poor start to the season has renewed transfer chatter, with rumours placing a Saudi move in 2026 and some reports even suggesting January as a possibility. Fernandes’ commitment to winning with United has been clear in his public comments, and discussions over his future did take place this past summer.
Talks followed remarks from Fernandes about how the club might view a £100 million fee. When club officials made clear they did not want to lose him, he moved to close down talk of an immediate exit while qualifying his stance.
“I didn’t close the door on moving to Saudi Arabia because of the World Cup ,” Fernandes explained. “That was never in my mind.
“I wanted to stay at Manchester United, and the club wanted me to stay. That’s all there is to it.”
For now, Fernandes has framed his priorities around national team duty and continuing to compete for trophies with United, leaving his future open but rooted in the present.
Arsenal
Gyökeres Criticised After Quiet Display in Sweden’s 2–0 Loss to Switzerland
Viktor Gyökeres drew sharp criticism after a subdued 2-0 defeat by Switzerland and went without a shot.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres came in for heavy criticism after Sweden’s 2–0 defeat to Switzerland on Friday night. He started alongside Liverpool striker Alexander Isak, but neither forward managed to break down a compact Swiss defence.
Gyökeres was particularly ineffectual in attack, registering no shots on target and an expected goals total of just 0.08. Domestic outlets were blunt in their assessments after the final whistle.
Expressen were particularly critical and awarded him a 1/5 rating. They wrote: “Thundered away from deep—from minute one,” they wrote. “Viktor Gyökeres looked lively. Then he got tired. And heavy. The number of errors increased with it. And overall, it can only be said that Gyökeres was one of the absolute weakest players on the field.” Fotbollskanalen also expressed disappointment: “Sweden needed Gyökeres at the top of his game in the important World Cup qualifying match. But he didn’t get it in crucial situations.” Svenska Fans handed another 1/5 and added: “His form has been waning lately. I don’t really know what’s happened, but he doesn’t seem to really believe it right now. It feels so resigned and awkward.”
The reaction will sharpen focus on Gyökeres’s form with Arsenal. He has made a solid start to his Arsenal career, but has hardly terrorised Premier League defences. He has scored just three for the Gunners to date, those efforts coming in routine home wins over Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
Friday’s display will raise questions about confidence and consistency at international level, and supporters will expect a response from Gyökeres as the season progresses. For now, the coverage in Sweden suggests he must recover his best form to answer critics and provide the cutting edge his national team required in the World Cup qualifying match.
