Gabriel vs Haaland: The battle that will decide Brazil-Norway clash

One of the Premier League's most fascinating rivalries, Gabriel Magalhaes versus Erling Haaland, is set to be reignited on the World Cup stage. Brazil and Norway will face off in the last-16 on Sunday night, with the outcome potentially decided by this personal duel.

The match kicks off at 2:00 am Bangladesh time at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Former England striker Chris Sutton told BBC that while there have been individual battles for the Golden Boot, this is the biggest personal rivalry of the tournament. "Don't be mistaken, this will have a huge impact on the result. What makes this duel special is the bitter relationship between them," Sutton said.

The psychological battle between Haaland and Gabriel began on September 22, 2024, when Haaland threw the ball at Gabriel's head after scoring in a 2-2 draw between Manchester City and Arsenal. Gabriel later retaliated by provoking Haaland in similar fashion.

In April, Gabriel escaped a red card for attempting to headbutt Haaland in a match City won 2-1. After the match, Haaland celebrated by singing "Good Feeling" in front of the camera. Gabriel got his revenge in February 2025 when Arsenal thrashed City 5-1, celebrating by screaming in Haaland's face after scoring. In May, after Arsenal won the Premier League title for the first time in 24 years, Gabriel posted a photo with the trophy with Haaland's "Good Feeling" playing in the background.

Former England captain Alan Shearer said, "It will be a great battle. There is clearly some tension between them. They don't like each other, and that's fine. You don't have to like your opponent."

Sutton added, "The player who wins the Haaland-Gabriel duel will likely see his team advance. Norway can certainly win, but Brazil have Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout. He knows how to win. I think the match will be very close, but Ancelotti is the reason everyone is slightly favouring Brazil."

Haaland has scored six goals in 11 matches against Gabriel in club football. Norway have won five of those matches, Arsenal two, and four have been drawn. Haaland is also in the race for the Golden Boot with five goals so far in the tournament, level with Harry Kane but behind Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, who have seven each.

Gabriel, meanwhile, has been the defensive anchor for Ancelotti's Brazil side, who have progressed by playing effective rather than flashy football.