Tom Holland and Erling Haaland are not, at least for now, the celebrity friendship pairing some people apparently had on their bingo card. Holland said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday that he tried to reach the Manchester City and Norway striker during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix last month, only to receive no reply.
What Holland said happened in Monaco
Jimmy Fallon brought up a recent social media post about Holland’s unsuccessful attempt to connect with Haaland. Holland confirmed it, saying the two were near each other at the Monaco Grand Prix and he decided to send a message.
The response, as Holland told it, was silence.
“That is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors,” Holland said. “I’ll text him, I'll take him to dinner ... not even a response. Not an excuse, not, ‘I’m busy tonight, I’m playing football.' Nada.”
The actor framed the moment as funny rather than dramatic, which is probably the only sensible way to play it when one of the world’s most recognizable footballers declines to acknowledge your dinner invitation by doing absolutely nothing.
Holland still praised Haaland anyway
Fallon asked whether Holland would still want to spend time with Haaland despite the ignored message. Holland suggested the timing might be worse now, after England beat Norway on Saturday, but he still called Haaland an “absolute legend.”
That detail matters because Haaland plays for Norway, while Holland is English. International football has a way of making even polite small talk slightly less polite.
Haaland has become one of the standout personalities around the FIFA World Cup in the United States, not just because of his performances but because of how clearly he has embraced the trip. He has been documenting his experience on social media, including a notably odd stop in Texas where he picked up a taxidermied raccoon and other creatures.
So Holland’s interest in meeting him was not exactly mysterious. Haaland has been everywhere, and Holland, like many fans, seemed happy to join the crowd. For now, though, the proposed dinner remains theoretical. Very theoretical.
