Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, amused his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Støre, by suggesting that Norway could lend striker Erling Haaland to Canadians for the upcoming World Cup.
NATO Summit Atmosphere
This incident occurred on Tuesday during the NATO Summit held in Ankara, Turkey. Just one day after signing a submarine agreement involving Germany and Norway, Mark Carney met with Jonas Gahr Støre and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Carney couldn't resist a joke related to the 2026 World Cup, which is actively discussed in sports circles.
Carney's Statement and Støre's Reaction
According to Reuters, on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of relations with Norway, Carney stated: 'Interoperability also means exchanging teams. And at the next World Cup, if you could share Erling Haaland with us, we would be very, very, very grateful.'
Støre laughed, adopted a more relaxed demeanor, and replied: 'He is not for sale.'
Information on Haaland and Norway
It should be noted that the Scandinavian national teams, which had never reached the quarter-finals of the tournament before, defeated Brazil in the eighth round with a score of 2-1, with one of the goals scored by Erling Haaland, assisted by Andreas Schjelderup from Benfica. Currently, the Manchester City player has scored seven goals. In the next stage, Norway will play against England.