Tom Holland says he was left feeling thoroughly humbled after Erling Haaland failed to reply to a message inviting him to hang out.
The Spider-Man star shared the story while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, July 13. During the interview, Fallon referred to the viral story that Haaland had not recognized Holland when the actor reached out to him directly after spotting him at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix in early June.
“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?”
Holland confirmed that he had indeed reached out, admitting the silence that followed was a useful reality check.
“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.”
He went on to explain that the message was prompted by a brief sighting at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix in early June. Holland said he noticed Haaland nearby while watching Lewis Hamilton and decided to take a chance.
“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.”
Holland also joked that he never expected the moment to become a topic of conversation on television.
“I never imagined I would talk about it on live television, but here we are.”
Fallon then steered the conversation toward football, asking whether Holland would still fancy dinner with Haaland after the striker’s Norway side wrapped up its World Cup campaign.
Holland suggested the recent result may have made any potential meet-up even less likely.
“I don’t think he would have dinner with me after the other day,” Holland said, referencing the result.
When Fallon remarked that Haaland was “probably hurting a little bit,” Holland answered, ‘A little bit, bless him.’
Even so, Holland made clear he remains a big admirer of the striker, praising what he has done during the tournament.
He described Haaland as “incredible” and “an absolute legend.”
Haaland, meanwhile, previously addressed the awkward DM story himself, saying he did not know who Holland was when the message arrived and simply did not respond.
Holland has also said he now finds the whole episode more funny than embarrassing, and the exchange has only added to the pair’s unlikely crossover moment between Hollywood and football.
Still, the actor seemed to think there may be hope yet for a face-to-face meeting someday.
“Sometimes in life, I just get a feeling, and I have that feeling right now, Jimmy,” he added.