Dayot Upamecano is ready to face Erling Haaland, but it might not matter

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has yielded some great games thus far, but fans are greatly anticipating Group I’s France vs. Norway to determine who will top the group. A showdown of great strikers in Kylian Mbappè and Erling Haaland was on tap for the match, but Norway is expected to sit its starters and cede the group.

Regardless, France and Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano seems well prepared to face the Haaland once again. While speaking to French outlet L’Équipe, Upamecano discussed Haaland’s playstyle, how he plans to stop him, and the importance of focus and body positioning when facing players of his calibre (as captured by @iMiaSanMia)

With Haaland, you always have to keep one eye on him and one eye on the player in possession, even when you’re not outnumbered. When he’s behind me and one of his teammates is moving with the ball, I know I’ll have to check his position two or three times to see where he’s going and how he’s positioning himself. We all know he’s a player who explodes off his first steps, a bit like Kylian Mbappé.

He only needs a split second to change direction. That’s why you always have to keep an eye on him. If you can’t anticipate his first touch and prevent him from getting on the ball, then you have to try to force him wide. He’s a player who likes physical duels, and so do I. But sometimes you have to be smart, push him toward the flank, and cut off his angle to goal

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On his team’s set pieces, it’s always better to have two players marking him. The free player on my team, usually the full-back, shouldn’t be too far in front of him, while I stay just behind him, close enough without sticking to him. It’s difficult to try to step in front and anticipate because he’s incredibly strong. With him, it’s always a real battle. The slightest lapse in concentration, or even the slightest mistake, like the slip I made during Manchester City vs. Bayern, can be punished immediately

I keep emphasizing it, but I believe the most important thing when facing him is your initial positioning and body orientation, so that you can always keep one eye on the ball and one eye on him. If he gets away from you, it’s very difficult to catch him because he’s extremely fast. Paradoxically, facing Haaland is more a battle of movement and positioning than a purely physical battle. You have to be ready with every step and constantly aware of where he is. He isn’t going to touch the ball 50 times – we all know that. He’ll want two or three chances, but he’ll play those two or three situations at 100%, so you have to be at 100% as well.

It’s been quite a while since we last faced each other. Today, I have more experience – almost 200 matches with Bayern and 40 with the French national team. I’m better prepared than before to face him. Does Haaland talk to defenders? No! But neither do I talk to my opponents. And even when someone talks to me, I act as if I haven’t heard anything. I don’t like talking. I try to stay focused

Make no mistake, Haaland is an incredible player, but don’t forget Alexander Sørloth, whom I played with at Leipzig: he’s very strong, very fast, and he strikes the ball with tremendous power.

With Haaland, you always have to keep one eye on him and one eye on the player in possession, even when you’re not outnumbered. When he’s behind me and one of his teammates is moving with the ball, I know I’ll have to check his position two or three times to see where he’s going and how he’s positioning himself. We all know he’s a player who explodes off his first steps, a bit like Kylian Mbappé.

He only needs a split second to change direction. That’s why you always have to keep an eye on him. If you can’t anticipate his first touch and prevent him from getting on the ball, then you have to try to force him wide. He’s a player who likes physical duels, and so do I. But sometimes you have to be smart, push him toward the flank, and cut off his angle to goal

On his team’s set pieces, it’s always better to have two players marking him. The free player on my team, usually the full-back, shouldn’t be too far in front of him, while I stay just behind him, close enough without sticking to him. It’s difficult to try to step in front and anticipate because he’s incredibly strong. With him, it’s always a real battle. The slightest lapse in concentration, or even the slightest mistake, like the slip I made during Manchester City vs. Bayern, can be punished immediately

I keep emphasizing it, but I believe the most important thing when facing him is your initial positioning and body orientation, so that you can always keep one eye on the ball and one eye on him. If he gets away from you, it’s very difficult to catch him because he’s extremely fast. Paradoxically, facing Haaland is more a battle of movement and positioning than a purely physical battle. You have to be ready with every step and constantly aware of where he is. He isn’t going to touch the ball 50 times – we all know that. He’ll want two or three chances, but he’ll play those two or three situations at 100%, so you have to be at 100% as well.

It’s been quite a while since we last faced each other. Today, I have more experience – almost 200 matches with Bayern and 40 with the French national team. I’m better prepared than before to face him. Does Haaland talk to defenders? No! But neither do I talk to my opponents. And even when someone talks to me, I act as if I haven’t heard anything. I don’t like talking. I try to stay focused

Make no mistake, Haaland is an incredible player, but don’t forget Alexander Sørloth, whom I played with at Leipzig: he’s very strong, very fast, and he strikes the ball with tremendous power.

Upamecano offers great tactical insight into how defenders think and approach duels. He seems well-informed and ready to face up against one of the best strikers in the world, and make up for his unfortunate errors against him over three years ago in the Champions League. Fans of his will surely be rooting for him to rewrite the narrative, and by the looks of it, he appears well placed to do just that.