Man City goal machine Erling Haaland gives honest reaction as Norway are pitted against France & Kylian Mbappe in 'tough' World Cup group stage draw

France, Senegal, Norway and the winner of FIFA play-off 2 - one of Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq - have been drawn together. The draw immediately triggered excitement among fans because it finally delivers a long-awaited showdown between Haaland and Kylian Mbappe on the sport’s biggest stage. The Norwegian is heading towards his first World Cup with Norway in fine form, whereas Mbappe, now spearheading Real Madrid’s forward line, continues to produce the kind of numbers that will define a generation of footballing legends. Mbappe already has the ultimate international accolade, having lifted the trophy in 2018 and dazzling again in the 2022 final. Haaland, on the other hand, has been forced to watch from afar as Norway repeatedly missed out, until now.

Haaland was ruthless in qualifying, scoring 16 goals in eight games to haul Norway into their first World Cup since 1998. No player on any continent scored more. For a country whose footballing hopes have long rested on promise without fulfilment, Haaland’s numbers were simply historic. Mbappe’s own statistics this season are equally formidable. He has scored 16 times in 15 league matches for Real Madrid and is only two goals away from becoming France’s all-time leading scorer at just 26. Haaland is already Norway’s record marksman and an incredible 22 goals clear of the next highest on his country’s list. At club level, he has 15 goals in 14 appearances for City in the English topflight. 

He shared his initial reaction on Instagram shortly after the draw was finalised and wrote: "France and Senegal, that’s tough [laughing emoji]. What do you guys think?"

France manager Didier Deschamps was keen to embrace the drama of the inevitable duel. "It will be a great duel," he told reporters. "Both teams have lots of other big names, but of course Kylian and Haaland are two players recognised around the world and they will be two of the contenders to be the top scorer."

Deschamps was quick to highlight not only the Haaland–Mbappe spectacle but also the renewed significance of France facing Senegal, a flashback to one of the most dramatic opening nights in World Cup history. In 2002, Papa Bouba Diop stunned the world by scoring the winner against the reigning champions, setting in motion a disastrous tournament for Les Bleus as they departed without a single victory.

"Every World Cup has its own story and we need to make sure this one is as beautiful as possible," added Deschamps. "Of course, as France we have a status and there is a lot of expectation around us, but we need to show respect and humility from the beginning. Before thinking about what is at the top of the mountain, we will need to work our way up gradually and the first steps are difficult."

Given France were among the top four seeds, an eventual meeting with England could only happen in the latter stages of the tournament. England themselves face a challenging route, having been drawn alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

"We have Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups, and we have Panama," England manager Thomas Tuchel explained. "I don’t know much about Panama, but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts. For me personally, even in the Champions League, you have to focus on the group – the group is always the most difficult, and we want to escape, and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one."

Every World Cup fixture will be announced on Saturday evening.