Tom Holland says he took his shot at befriending soccer superstar Erling Haaland and got completely ignored.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Spider-Man actor confirmed that he once sent the Norwegian striker a direct message inviting him to dinner after spotting him during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. When Fallon brought up the story, Holland admitted the interaction didn't exactly go as planned.
"Yes," Holland said when asked if he had messaged Haaland. "And I tell you what, that is exactly the type of humbling experience that is important for actors."
Holland joked that the unanswered message served as a reminder that even Hollywood stars don't always get a response.
"I'll text him, I'll take him to dinner," Holland recalled. "Not even a response. What an excuse? Not, 'I'm busy tonight.' 'I'm playing football.' Nada. Nothing."
Holland explained that he decided to reach out after seeing Haaland during the Formula 1 weekend in Monaco.
"I was at Monaco. I was watching Lewis race," he said, referring to Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. "I saw him. He was in a hospitality suite across from me. And I just thought I'd shoot my shot."
At the time, Holland never expected the private message to become a late-night television talking point.
"I never imagined I'd talk about it on live television, but here we are," he joked.
Fallon then revealed another detail behind the failed interaction, saying Haaland apparently didn't realize who had messaged him.
According to Fallon, the Manchester City striker wasn't familiar with Holland because he doesn't regularly watch movies and reportedly assumed the message came from a random person.
Despite the awkward exchange, Holland made it clear he still has plenty of admiration for Haaland's game.
When Fallon asked whether he'd still want to have dinner with the Norwegian star if given the chance, Holland laughed.
"I don't think he would have dinner with me after the other day," he said.
The actor then praised Haaland, calling him "incredible" and "electric" while acknowledging he is "probably hurting a little bit" after England knocked Norway out of the 2026 World Cup 2-1 on July 11 at Miami Stadium.
