World Cup 2026: Erling Haaland and Gabriel feud goes global as Norway face Brazil

One of the Premier League’s most compelling individual rivalries takes on a global dimension when Brazil face Norway in the last 16 of the World Cup on Sunday.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland’s Norway is formidable against Brazil’s immovable object in the form of Arsenal defender Gabriel at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Haaland and Gabriel are central figures as their clubs battle for domestic supremacy, creating a rivalry that turns into regular enmity.

The result of their latest clash will go a long way in determining whether Brazil or Norway advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face England or Mexico.

Former England striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport: “There has never been a great individual duel between greats like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Haaland for the Golden Boot. Now we have one.

“This has been the standout individual clash of the World Cup so far and make no mistake, it will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

“It stands out because we know bad feelings exist between the pair. I’m sure great players have a level of respect for each other, but from what we’ve seen between them, they don’t like each other very much.”

Former England captain Alan Shearer is also relishing the clash between the pair, saying: “It will be a great fight because there is definitely some discomfort there.

“They don’t like each other which is good, you don’t have to like your opponent, and we’ve seen them clash before so it’s definitely worth looking forward to.”

Adding further intrigue is the statistical wonder that five-time world champions Brazil have never beaten Norway in four attempts – drawing two and losing two.

This makes Norway the only team to have faced the Selecao, but never won against them.