Erling Haaland has reportedly praised Martin Ødegaard as one of the best midfielders in world football, highlighting the Arsenal captain’s quality, intelligence and influence for both club and country.
The Norwegian pair have developed an outstanding relationship over the years, and their partnership has become one of the most important features of Norway’s rise on the international stage. While Haaland naturally attracts enormous attention because of his goalscoring record, Ødegaard has increasingly received recognition for the creativity, leadership and control he brings to the team.
Their understanding has been particularly important for Norway.
Haaland is one of the most dangerous strikers in world football, but even the world’s best goalscorers require teammates capable of finding them in dangerous positions. Ødegaard has repeatedly demonstrated that he possesses the vision and passing ability required to provide those opportunities.
During Norway’s impressive 2026 World Cup campaign, Ødegaard played a major role in the team’s progress. Norway reached the quarter-finals of a men’s major tournament for the first time in their history, with Ødegaard operating as one of the central figures in their attacking system. Opta Analyst highlighted his importance to Norway’s progression, noting that he led the team in several passing and ball-carrying metrics.
For Haaland, playing alongside such a midfielder provides an enormous advantage.
The Manchester City striker has developed a reputation for making intelligent runs behind defensive lines, attacking crosses and finding space inside the penalty area. Ødegaard’s ability to recognise those movements can make the connection between midfield and attack extremely dangerous.
The relationship was particularly evident during Norway’s 11-1 victory over Moldova in 2025.
Haaland scored five goals in that match, while Ødegaard contributed two assists and also scored himself. After the match, Ødegaard described playing with Haaland as a dream, explaining that he knows the striker’s movement and simply needs to deliver the ball into the right areas.
That understanding is one of the reasons Haaland has reportedly developed such enormous respect for his international teammate.
Ødegaard is not simply a midfielder who passes the ball sideways.
He is a player who constantly looks to move the team forward.
His ability to receive possession under pressure, turn away from opponents, carry the ball into advanced areas and deliver passes into the final third has made him one of Arsenal’s most important players.
ESPN previously highlighted Ødegaard among the best midfielders in men’s football, describing him as a player capable of controlling the rhythm of matches through his distribution and vision.
That assessment helps explain why Haaland’s reported praise has attracted attention.
For a striker who spends much of his career waiting for the right pass, having a midfielder with Ødegaard’s vision can be invaluable.
Haaland does not need dozens of opportunities to score.
He needs the right opportunity.
Ødegaard’s ability to create that opportunity is one of his greatest strengths.
The Norwegian midfielder also brings leadership.
As Norway’s captain, Ødegaard carries significant responsibility for the national team. He is expected to influence matches not only through his technical ability but also through his personality and decision-making.
Haaland, meanwhile, is the team’s biggest attacking weapon.
Together, they represent two completely different types of leadership.
Ødegaard controls the game from deeper and more advanced midfield positions, while Haaland provides the decisive finishing touch.
That combination has become extremely important to Norway.
The country had not reached a men’s World Cup since 1998, but the emergence of a generation led by Haaland and Ødegaard has completely changed expectations.
Norway’s impressive 2026 World Cup campaign demonstrated what can happen when the country’s two biggest stars operate together.
Haaland received much of the attention because of his goals, but Ødegaard’s contribution was equally important.
Opta’s analysis of Norway’s World Cup campaign showed just how influential the Arsenal captain was. He led Norway for progressive carries, passes ending in the final third, successful passes in the opposition half and successful passes into the opposition box.
Those numbers illustrate a player who is constantly trying to move his team forward.
It also explains why Haaland would value him so highly.
A striker’s relationship with his midfielders can determine how many opportunities he receives, and Haaland has clearly benefited from Ødegaard’s ability to find him.
Their connection is not purely professional either.
The two players are close friends away from the pitch, despite representing rival Premier League clubs.
Ødegaard plays for Arsenal, while Haaland plays for Manchester City, meaning the two can find themselves competing directly for Premier League honours.
Yet their international relationship remains extremely strong.
Ødegaard has previously explained that the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City does not affect their friendship. He described their relationship as relaxed and said that what happens during a match stays on the pitch.
That mutual respect has allowed them to build a strong partnership for Norway.
Haaland reportedly sees Ødegaard as more than simply a talented teammate.
He sees a midfielder capable of influencing matches at the highest level.
The Arsenal captain’s technical ability is particularly impressive.
He can play short combinations around the edge of the penalty area, switch the direction of attacks, deliver dangerous crosses and make perfectly timed passes through defensive lines.
He also possesses an excellent understanding of space.
Rather than simply looking for the obvious pass, Ødegaard often waits for the right moment to release the ball.
That patience is extremely valuable when playing with Haaland.
The Manchester City striker frequently makes runs that are difficult for defenders to track.
If the pass arrives too early, the defender can react.
If it arrives too late, the opportunity disappears.
Ødegaard’s ability to wait for the correct moment can therefore make him an ideal creative partner for Haaland.
The striker’s physical presence then provides another dimension.
Once Ødegaard finds him, Haaland’s strength, speed and finishing ability can transform a promising attack into a goal.
That combination has already produced numerous memorable moments for Norway.
It has also created excitement about what the pair could achieve in the future.
Norway now possesses one of the most recognisable attacking partnerships in international football.
Haaland is the goalscorer.
Ødegaard is the creator.
But both players are capable of contributing in other ways.
Haaland can occupy defenders and create space for teammates, while Ødegaard can score from outside the box and arrive in dangerous attacking positions.
That versatility makes the partnership difficult for opponents to defend.
For Arsenal supporters, Haaland’s reported praise is also significant because it underlines how highly Ødegaard is regarded by one of the world’s elite forwards.
The Norwegian striker faces some of the best defenders in Europe every season.
He knows what it takes to compete at the highest level.
If he considers Ødegaard one of the world’s leading midfielders, that represents a strong endorsement of the Arsenal captain’s development.
Ødegaard’s journey has been remarkable.
He was once regarded primarily as a teenage prodigy after becoming one of the youngest players to represent Norway at senior level. His early move to Real Madrid placed enormous expectations on his shoulders.
His career did not immediately follow the straightforward path many expected.
He spent time on loan before eventually establishing himself at Arsenal.
At the Emirates, he transformed himself into a leader and eventually became club captain.
His development has therefore involved much more than improving technically.
He has become more mature tactically and mentally while taking on greater responsibility.
Haaland has witnessed much of that journey from close range.
Both players grew up in Norway and eventually became the faces of their country’s golden generation.
Their careers have followed different paths, but their ambitions remain similar.
They want to compete against the best.
They want to win major trophies.
And they want Norway to become a serious force in international football.
The 2026 World Cup gave them an opportunity to demonstrate exactly what they could achieve together.
Norway’s run to the quarter-finals represented a historic achievement, and Ødegaard’s influence was a major part of that success.
Haaland naturally remained the headline star because of his goalscoring exploits.
But behind many of those attacking moments was Ødegaard’s creativity.
That is why the midfielder’s importance should not be measured only by goals and assists.
His ability to control the tempo, progress possession and create space is equally important.
Haaland understands that.
As a striker, he knows how valuable a midfielder can be when that midfielder understands his movement.
The relationship between the two could therefore become even more important for Norway in the years ahead.
Both players are still among the central figures of their generation.
Haaland continues to break scoring records, while Ødegaard remains one of Arsenal’s most important players.
If they maintain their current levels, Norway will continue to have the opportunity to compete against the strongest national teams in the world.
For Ødegaard, the praise from his close friend would represent another sign of how far he has come.
He is no longer simply the young Norwegian who attracted attention as a teenager.
He is now a captain, creator and established elite midfielder.
And for Haaland, having a player of that quality behind him could be one of Norway’s greatest advantages.
The striker’s goals will continue to attract the headlines.
But Ødegaard’s passes could be just as important.
When the two combine, Norway possesses a partnership capable of causing problems for even the strongest defences.
That is why Haaland’s reported description of Ødegaard as one of the best midfielders in the world fits the growing reputation of the Arsenal captain.
Ødegaard has already proven himself at club level.
He has become an influential figure at Arsenal and an important leader for Norway.
Now, alongside Haaland, he is helping lead his country through one of the most exciting periods in its football history.
The two friends may play for rival Premier League clubs, but when they put on the Norway shirt, their objectives are identical.
Haaland wants Ødegaard supplying the passes.
Ødegaard wants Haaland finishing the chances.
And Norway will hope that their partnership can continue producing special moments for years to come.