There is a chance, if you’re in the wrong age category or grew up beyond the grasp of American advertising, that you have not heard of Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots.This was a toy produced by the now-defunct Louis Marx and Company. It consisted of a miniature boxing ring, inside which two hulking, angular robots — named Red Rocker and Blue Bomber — were set up in opposite corners. They were controlled by two sets of levers, with plastic buttons that made the combatants throw left jabs and right uppercuts.The objective? Probably best to defer to the slogan that appeared on the box: ‘Knock his block off!’If this sounds like the kind of thing you might like, you have three options. One is to track down an original set; Marx and Co shuttered in 1980, but the second-hand market is your friend. Another is to go for the updated, slightly miniaturised Mattel version.Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic appOr, if you want the full majesty of two building-sized combatants slugging it out, limbs flying in every conceivable direction, you could just tune in to Norway vs Brazil on Sunday. It is a World Cup knockout-phase match, with all the attendant fanfare and the many layers of meaning. It is also a resumption of one of modern football’s great individual running battles, a club tussle now set to go global.6 reasons Norway became World Cup dark horsesAlexander BarkerNorwegian striker Erling Haaland and Brazilian defender Gabriel are two of the best players in the Premier League. They are, in many respects, quite similar: combative, highly competitive, muscular, left-footed, beloved by their own fans and reviled by many others.In another life, another universe, they might be firm friends. But they are figureheads for bitter rivals, cast against each other, Red Rocker and Blue Bomber, condemned to permanent confrontation.The skirmishes date back to shortly after Haaland’s arrival at Manchester City in July 2022. The following February, they played Arsenal in what was billed as a Premier League title showdown. Haaland was dominant, scoring one goal and helping set up another in a 3-1 win. He and Gabriel tangled throughout, most significantly just before the hour mark, when the Brazilian hauled his man down after being spun. Only an offside flag prevented City from being awarded a penalty.