Nobody in the world is in better goal-scoring form than Erling Haaland, who has lit up the scoresheet in the October 2025 international break.
The 25-year-old leads the Premier League Golden Boot race by a mile with nine goals in the first seven games of the season, hoping to put himself back atop the English top-flight list after Mohamed Salah stopped his streak last season.
Yet that pales in comparison to his rampant international record of late. Haaland has scored in an incredible nine straight international games for Norway, bagging 17 goals in that span, including an astonishing tally of eight in his last two.
Given this electric form for club and country, Haaland's absence from Norway's latest match presents a notable curiosity.
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Why is Erling Haaland absent for Norway vs. New Zealand?
While it's not mathematically confirmed just yet, Norway are on the doorstep of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, able to finally step through the frame in their next competitive fixture at home against Estonia on November 13.
Having already played six qualifying matches, Norway are now off for the second matchday of the October window, allowing them to schedule a friendly against 83rd-ranked New Zealand on October 14.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken confirmed in the build-up to the friendly that Haaland has been released from the squad to make an early return to Manchester City.
Haaland has logged exceptional minutes over the last few months, and even years, so the least his national team could do for such a key player is give him the rest he both needs and deserves.
"Everyone who has played a lot in the Champions League was told to go home, except Patrick Berg who refused to go home," the Norway boss revealed. "Everyone who has played regularly with midweek matches, or had some minor problems."
That group includes Haaland along with Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid, Julian Ryerson of Borussia Dortmund, Fredrik Andre Bjorkan of Bodo/Glimt, and Erik Botheim of Malmo. Norway are also missing Martin Odegaard, Felix Horn Myhre, Sondre Langas, Stian Rode Gregersen, and Leo Skiri Ostigard, all of whom were called in for the October international break but were forced to withdraw due to injury.
Haaland's club teammate at Man City, Oscar Bobb, has remained with the national team for the friendly given his limited minutes for the Premier League side so far this season.
Who will play striker for Norway instead of Haaland?
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is expected to take over for Haaland at the striker position for Norway against New Zealand.
Strand Larsen, who has the unfortunate luck to be the same age as Haaland, has made each of his last 11 international appearances off the bench.
His last start came in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland, a 3-3 draw in which he scored a goal and assisted another. In fact, Larsen has scored in three of his last four starts for Norway, bagging goals against the Faroe Islands and Jordan while being blanked by Georgia across 71 minutes.
Larsen has yet to score a Premier League goal for Wolves this season after five appearances, but he did bag a brace against West Ham in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup back in late August.