Canadian prime minister jokes about 'borrowing' Haaland from Norway

Carney suggested to the Norwegian prime minister that Haaland be shared with Canada for the next World Cup during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO conference.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 7/7, a day after reaching a submarine purchase agreement with a German-Norwegian joint venture.

Canadian prime minister jokes about borrowing player Haaland from Norway on the sidelines of the NATO conference in Ankara, Turkey, on 7/7. Video: Reuters

During their discussion, Carney emphasized the importance of the relationship between Canada and Norway. He then lightheartedly extended a proposal regarding Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who has scored 7 goals at the World Cup.

"Cooperation means sharing personnel," Carney said playfully. "And at the next World Cup, if you could share Erling Haaland with us, that would be truly, truly appreciated," he joked, prompting Prime Minister Stoere to laugh.

Stoere immediately responded with a Viking rowing gesture and declared, "He is not for sale."

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland celebrates after defeating Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at New York New Jersey stadium in the U.S. on 5/7. Photo: AP

Haaland's recent performance has been pivotal for Norway. He scored two goals, helping Norway defeat Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, 2-1 on 6/7 to advance to the quarterfinals. This marks Norway's first time reaching the World Cup quarterfinals, and they will face England in a match on 11/7.

Meanwhile, the Canadian team, a co-host of the World Cup, was eliminated from the tournament last week after a 0-3 loss to Morocco. Despite their early exit, this World Cup proved memorable for Canada, as they advanced past the group stage for the first time and secured a knockout match victory against South Africa.