Haaland silenced by Diop, just four touches against Morocco

Erling Haaland experienced one of his most subdued performances in six years on Sunday, touching the ball just four times in 75 minutes during the 1-1 draw between Norway and Morocco at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

According to ESPN, this is the lowest ball-touch total for the Manchester City forward in a match started as a starter since 2019. Substituted in the 75th minute, the Norwegian never managed to influence the match, leaving a visual impression that the statistics confirm unequivocally.

Morocco’s central defensive pairing, composed of Issa Diop and Chadi Riad, was primarily responsible for this shutdown. Former Toulouse player Issa Diop proved particularly aggressive in his duels against the Norwegian striker, winning nearly all of his direct confrontations.

Collectively, Norway secured the draw thanks to Martin Odegaard’s equalizer in the 75th minute, in response to Brahim Diaz’s opening goal in the 8th minute. This result concludes the Scandinavians’ preparation before the 2026 World Cup, where they will face France among others in their group.

This performance comes during a mixed season for Haaland at Manchester City, though his numbers remain solid: 27 goals and 8 assists in 35 matches across all competitions. In the national team, the Leeds-born player boasts an impressive record of 55 goals in 50 caps, a ratio that makes this Sunday’s performance all the more striking.