Tom Holland issues response after Erling Haaland 'ignored' his DM request to hang out
Tom Holland has claimed that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland completely ignored a message he sent asking to hang out, branding the snub a 'humbling' experience.
The actor made the confession during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on July 13, after the host brought up a viral post claiming Haaland had no idea who Holland even was when he received the message.
"Erling Haaland had no idea who Tom Holland was when he DM'd him and asked to hang out," Fallon said, reading from the post.
"He doesn't watch movies, so he thought he was a random person. Now, tell us the truth: did you DM Erling Haaland?"
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Holland didn't deny it. "Yes. Yes, and I tell you what, that is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors," he said.
"You know, you'll be like, '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."
Why did Tom Holland message Erling Haaland?
Holland, who is a huge football fan, explained that the encounter that inspired the message happened at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix at the start of June, where he spotted Haaland nearby while watching Lewis Hamilton race.
"I was watching Lewis race, and I saw him," Holland said. "He was in like a hospitality suite across from me, and I just thought I'd shoot my shot. Send him a text."
He added that he never expected the rejection to become public knowledge, joking: "I never imagined I would talk about it on live television, but here we are."
The conversation took an extra twist when Fallon asked whether Holland would still want to have dinner with Haaland, considering England had just knocked Norway out of the World Cup.
Did England's win over Norway affect Tom Holland's chances with Erling Haaland?
England beat Norway 2-1 at Miami Stadium on July 11, sending the Three Lions through to the semi-finals and ending Norway's run in the competition.
"I don't think he would have dinner with me after the other day," Holland said, referencing the result.
When Fallon suggested Haaland was 'probably hurting a little bit', Holland replied: "A little bit, bless him."
Despite the rejection, Holland was quick to heap praise on Haaland's performances at the tournament, calling him 'incredible' and 'an absolute legend'.
For his part, Haaland has shown no hard feelings toward England's success, telling ESPN UK he wanted the team to 'do well' as they progress to face Argentina next.
"I've been supporting; I think I got an England jersey before I got a Norway jersey when I was young, so err, of course I want England to do well because it's a nice country and it's a nice t-shirt," the Manchester City striker said.
Holland also used the interview to reflect on England's tournament run more broadly, telling Fallon it felt like 'something is in the air' this summer.
"Sometimes in life, I just get a feeling, and I have that feeling right now, Jimmy," he added.
2026 World Cup fixture schedule and US kick off times (ET)
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: France vs Spain, kick-off 3pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: England vs Argentina, kick-off 3pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 5pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 3pm - New Jersey, US
Topics: Tom Holland, Football, World Cup, Entertainment
Thomas Bamford