Brazil vs. Norway: The Premier League feud between Gabriel and Haaland heads to the World Cup stage

Brazil's World Cup last-16 clash with Norway volition pit Gabriel Magalhaes against Erling Haaland erstwhile more, renewing a idiosyncratic rivalry that has intensified implicit caller seasons done the Premier League rubric contention betwixt Arsenal and Manchester City.

On Sunday astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, the centre-back and the striker committedness different section defined by carnal duels, provocative gestures and pointed comments. Here is everything Gabriel and Haaland person said astir each different successful their ongoing feud.

How the rivalry betwixt Gabriel and Haaland began

Over the past 4 seasons, the Brazilian defender and the Norwegian guardant person been cardinal pillars for the Gunners and the Citizens successful the conflict for the English title. However, the spark that ignited their feud came connected March 31, 2024, during a goalless gully astatine the Etihad Stadium.

Immediately aft the last whistle, the brace clashed connected the transportation and had to beryllium separated by Pep Guardiola, with the confrontation yet ending successful a handshake. At the time, some teams were locked successful a choky conflict astatine the apical of the table, with Arsenal starring for overmuch of the run earlier Manchester City overtook them successful the closing weeks to clinch the title.

On September 22 that year, the verbal sparring escalated into carnal provocation. Arsenal were starring 2-1 distant from home, with some Gabriel and Haaland having scored, erstwhile John Stones equalised heavy into added time.

In the celebrations, Haaland picked the shot retired of the nett and threw it astatine the backmost of Gabriel's caput portion the defender had his backmost turned and his look covered by his shirt. Referee Michael Oliver took nary action, and VAR did not urge a reappraisal for alleged convulsive conduct. The FA besides declined to enforce retrospective punishment.

football gods giving america Haaland vs Gabriel again pic.twitter.com/mIJPRrNHMB

Arsenal fable Ian Wright described Haaland's actions arsenic a 'real coward's move', noting that Gabriel was caught wholly disconnected defender and did not adjacent realise the shot had been thrown by a City player. From that infinitesimal on, the brace person exchanged barbs astatine each opportunity.

What the 2 stars person said astir each other

Immediately aft the match, Gabriel was asked successful the mixed portion what helium thought astir the incident. The Arsenal defender played the concern down, arguing that Haaland was simply blessed to person avoided decision since his squad had the 'duty' to triumph astatine home.

'It is simply a battle, a war, truthful it is mean to person provocative acts successful football, it is portion of the game,' Gabriel told TNT Sports Brazil. 'Now this is implicit and we are waiting for them astatine our ground.'

On October 10, speaking astatine a Norway property league up of their Nations League fixtures, Haaland showed nary remorse for throwing the shot astatine his rival's head, keeping the somesthesia precocious up of the instrumentality fixture successful the Premier League.

'I bash not regret overmuch successful life,' Haaland said. 'In the vigor of the moment, things happened successful that game. What happens connected the pitch, stays connected the pitch. That is however it is.'

Haaland v Gabriel = ?@ManCity | @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/n1iKINvgri

On February 2, 2025, Gabriel got his revenge successful Arsenal's 5-1 demolition of City successful the league. During the match, the centre-back celebrated 1 of the goals by screaming successful Haaland's look and adjacent asked the striker to fetch his footwear aft a challenge.

'I did it due to the fact that helium threw the shot astatine my head, to provoke him the mode helium provoked me,' Gabriel explained connected the PodPah podcast successful June of past year. 'The infinitesimal we scored, helium was close adjacent to me, truthful I went consecutive to shouting successful his ear. He scored, one-all. We made it two, past three, four, five.'

The past clip Gabriel and Haaland met

When they past faced each different connected April 19 this year, the defender and the striker clashed erstwhile again. Arsenal and Manchester City met successful different title-defining encounter, with Guardiola's broadside claiming a 2-1 triumph astatine the Etihad. Arsenal yet won the Premier League, with City finishing arsenic runners-up.

Haaland ? Gabriel ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Z8bw7kOzm0

Although Haaland scored, the lucifer was dominated by the carnal duels betwixt the pair, which resulted successful fouls and adjacent a torn undershirt. In the grappling, Gabriel pulled astatine Haaland's sleeve, portion the striker shoved the defender successful return.

'I deliberation my garment got a spot pulled!' Haaland said aft the match. 'I did not get the foul, but this is the Premier League nowadays. It is wrestling present and there. A batch of duels. A batch of scratches. Sometimes my missus is not truthful blessed astir this, it looks a spot wrong! But that is the reality.'

During the aforesaid match, the brace squared up look to face, with Gabriel appearing to endanger a headbutt connected the City striker. Both were shown yellowish cards, but Haaland argued aft the crippled that the Arsenal defender should person been sent off.

'I deliberation that is simply a reddish card, astir of you hold with maine connected this,' Haaland said. 'If I spell down, it is simply a reddish card. I would ne'er bash this.'

Despite the history, Gabriel and Haaland person besides praised each different connected respective occasions, peculiarly for their competitiveness astatine the highest level and their presumption arsenic notation points astatine their respective positions. At the World Cup, the question is which of them volition travel retired connected apical erstwhile Brazil look Norway connected Sunday.