Haaland vs Gabriel, the World Cup duel you cannot afford to miss

There is a chance, if you’re in the wrong age category or grew up beyond the grasp of American advertising, that you have not heard of Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots.

This was a toy produced by the now-defunct Louis Marx and Company. It consisted of a miniature boxing ring, inside which two hulking, angular robots — named Red Rocker and Blue Bomber — were set up in opposite corners. They were controlled by two sets of levers, with plastic buttons that made the combatants throw left jabs and right uppercuts.

The objective? Probably best to defer to the slogan that appeared on the box: ‘Knock his block off!’

If this sounds like the kind of thing you might like, you have three options. One is to track down an original set; Marx and Co shuttered in 1980, but the second-hand market is your friend. Another is to go for the updated, slightly miniaturised Mattel version.

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Or, if you want the full majesty of two building-sized combatants slugging it out, limbs flying in every conceivable direction, you could just tune in to Norway vs Brazil on Sunday. It is a World Cup knockout-phase match, with all the attendant fanfare and the many layers of meaning. It is also a resumption of one of modern football’s great individual running battles, a club tussle now set to go global.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and Brazilian defender Gabriel are two of the best players in the Premier League. They are, in many respects, quite similar: combative, highly competitive, muscular, left-footed, beloved by their own fans and reviled by many others.

In another life, another universe, they might be firm friends. But they are figureheads for bitter rivals, cast against each other, Red Rocker and Blue Bomber, condemned to permanent confrontation.

The skirmishes date back to shortly after Haaland’s arrival at Manchester City in July 2022. The following February, they played Arsenal in what was billed as a Premier League title showdown. Haaland was dominant, scoring one goal and helping set up another in a 3-1 win. He and Gabriel tangled throughout, most significantly just before the hour mark, when the Brazilian hauled his man down after being spun. Only an offside flag prevented City from being awarded a penalty.

A bigger flashpoint came in the 2-2 draw at City’s Etihad Stadium in September 2024. Haaland made headlines for imploring Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” after the final whistle, but that was not his only moment of provocation: he also, in the wake of John Stones’ last-gasp equaliser for City, grabbed the ball and tauntingly bounced it on the back of Gabriel’s head.

That incensed some observers.

“That boiled me up,” former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright said in a social media post. “It was a coward’s move.”

Haaland played down the incident. So did Gabriel, albeit in a manner that did neatly sum up how he viewed the rivalry.

“It’s normal,” he told TNT Sports Brasil. “It’s a battle, a war. It’s normal to have provocative acts in football; it’s part of the game. Now this is over, and we are waiting for them at our ground.”

Revenge was served hot: Arsenal, clearly motivated by Haaland’s “humble” comment, ran out 5-1 winners in the return fixture (the Kendrick Lamar song of that name played over the Emirates Stadium’s PA system after the final whistle).

Gabriel, who again spent much of the match glued to Haaland, made sure to celebrate the opening goal right in his face. “The moment we scored, I was already shouting in his ear,” he later recalled on a Brazilian podcast.

Haaland and Gabriel have now faced each other in eight Premier League games. They have been on the pitch together for 706 minutes. In that time, they have contested 26 duels, of which the Norwegian has won 16. Gabriel has fouled him four times, and there have been three fouls the other way.

At first glance, those last numbers look on the low side. Premier League referees, though, are often willing to let the two of them go at it, allowing the equal and opposite forces to bash against each other.

So it was in the early stages of the most recent Arsenal vs City game, in Manchester in April: Haaland complained to referee Anthony Taylor about Gabriel pulling him back, but got short shrift. “You’re both at it,” Taylor told him.

Could the Haaland-Gabriel individual battle decide Brazil vs Norway on Sunday? (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

What followed was the most memorable scrap between the pair so far. At one point, after Gabriel won a header by levering himself up on Haaland’s shoulders, the two grappled on the turf as the game continued around them. Later, Gabriel tore Haaland’s shirt, the light-blue fabric trailing in the breeze as the pair chased a loose ball.

Haaland’s winning goal came after another bout of yanking and pulling; the striker tried to free himself by slapping the defender’s arm away, eventually just carrying on regardless. In the final embers of the match, Haaland and Gabriel literally butted heads, the latter appearing to shove his brow into that of his opponent.

“If I go down, it’s a red card,” Haaland said later. “I would never do this. My father (Alfie, a former City and Norway player himself) taught me this: stay on your feet and don’t be a… it starts with P. That’s the reality. Maybe, yes, I should have gone down. Maybe it would be easier.”

Gabriel avoided a red card for this confrontation with Haaland (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The fact that he did not deserves praise. It also showed Haaland’s respect for Gabriel. For all the friction between the two of them, there is a sense that they both enjoy the fight. There are pictures of them hugging on the pitch, sharing jokes between moments of tension. It is not hard to detect some mutual appreciation there, honour among bloodied pugilists.

That feeling is echoed in their public statements. Gabriel winkingly described Haaland as “that b*****d” on a podcast and has said he enjoys playing against him. Haaland, who grew up watching the rough-and-tumble Premier League football his father competed in during the 1990s, appears to agree. “It’s always a good challenge,” he told ESPN in April.

Today, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, those niceties will be placed to one side for 90 minutes, allowing the physical confrontation to reclaim centre stage.

Gabriel and Haaland are key men for their countries, too; whoever shades their personal duel will have a great chance of finishing on the winning team.

Neutrals, meanwhile, can expect fireworks. Or, as a 1960 television ad for Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots put it: “Lots of exciting action and fun for everyone!”