14 July,2026 07:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Tom Holland and Erling Haaland. Pic via Instagram
Tom Holland has finally addressed one of the internet's favourite celebrity ghosting stories, and he's taking it in good humour. The Spider-Man star recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote his upcoming film The Odyssey, where he opened up about inviting football sensation Erling Haaland to dinner, only to be met with complete silence.
Laughing about the awkward episode, Holland admitted the experience was a reminder that even Hollywood stars can be left on read. "That's exactly the type of humbling experience that's important for actors," he joked, adding that he had confidently sent Haaland a message expecting a response. "Not even an excuse. Not 'I'm busy tonight. I'm playing football.' Nada," he quipped.
Recalling how it all began, Holland revealed that he spotted the Manchester City striker during the Monaco Grand Prix and decided to "shoot his shot." Seeing Erling Haaland in a hospitality suite nearby, the actor sent him a dinner invitation, never imagining the message would later become headline-worthy.
Despite the silence, Holland had nothing but admiration for the footballer, calling him "an absolute legend."
The story first went viral after Haaland himself explained why he never replied. Appearing on Norwegian talk show A Laget, the footballer confessed he simply didn't recognise Holland's name. Since he rarely watches films, he assumed the message came from a stranger and chose to ignore it.
"This is a bit embarrassing, to be completely honest," Haaland confessed. "We were in Monaco at the Formula 1, and then I got a message. I don't watch movies much, so I have no idea who people are. There was one asking if we could go out for dinner, but I'd never seen him, so I didn't bother to answer. I didn't want to answer an unknown person."
Haaland admitted he only realised much later that the unanswered message had come from the Spider-Man actor. He revealed he had completely forgotten about it before the story resurfaced online. He even joked that he now owes Holland a reply.
Meanwhile, Holland is preparing for the release of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, where he stars as Telemachus alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong'o. The epic is set to release in theatres on July 17.
The actor also has another major release lined up with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film follows Peter Parker's journey after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and will arrive in Indian cinemas on July 30, a day ahead of its worldwide release.
For now, though, it seems Holland has taken the viral ghosting in stride, proving that even superheroes sometimes get left on "seen."
