Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been left out of the club's pre-season tour of Asia to allow for an extended rest period. The 26-year-old forward recently concluded his involvement in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he helped lead Norway to the quarter-finals in North America.
Norway's tournament journey marked a significant milestone, as the nation returned to the competition after a 28-year absence. The team ultimately exited the tournament in the quarter-finals following a 2-1 loss in extra time to England. Haaland made an immediate impact in his debut World Cup appearance, scoring twice in a 4-1 opening win against Iraq and adding another brace in a 3-2 victory over Senegal, which secured Norway's path to the knockout stages. After being rested for the group match against France, he netted a late winner in a 2-1 Round of 32 victory over Cote d'Ivoire and scored both goals in the 2-1 defeat of Brazil. In the quarter-final match against England, he was held scoreless as the Three Lions overcame a deficit to win, with Jude Bellingham scoring both goals for England, including the decisive effort early in extra time.
Due to his deep run in the tournament, City has excluded Haaland, along with Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, and Ruben Dias, from the traveling squad for the Asian tour, as reported by Biz Chosun. While these players were not on the flight with the initial 28-man roster, some teammates who competed in the Round of 16 are expected to join the group at a later date.
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, who has taken over from Pep Guardiola, the touring squad features players such as Phil Foden, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Josko Gvardiol, Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Sabino, Antoine Semenyo, Abducodir Husanov, and Rico Lewis. The squad also includes several young talents, including Claudio Echeverri, Jeremy Mongga, Ryan McAdoo, Divine Mukasa, Devin Mbama, and Jayden Hesketh, all of whom are looking to secure first-team opportunities.
Manchester City is scheduled to face Serie A champions Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1, followed by a match against a K League All-Star team in Seoul on August 5. The tour concludes with a fixture against Atletico Madrid on August 9.
