{"id":3918,"date":"2026-06-21T15:36:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T07:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.play666my1.com\/blog\/?p=3918"},"modified":"2026-06-21T15:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T07:48:18","slug":"haaland-norway-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.play666my1.com\/blog\/haaland-norway-world-cup-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Erling Haaland Finally Arrives at the World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

He’s broken records at every club he’s played for. He’s terrorised defenders in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, the Champions League. But until June 16, 2026, there was one stage Erling Haaland had never played on \u2014 the World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Erling Haaland has 55 goals in 50 games for Norway.\u00a0Jared C. Tilton – FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Norway hadn’t qualified since 1998. Haaland spent every World Cup of his career watching from home. That changed in Boston \u2014 and he made sure the wait was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Debut Worth the Wait<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It didn\u2019t take long for Erling Haaland to announce his arrival to the World Cup stage. | Jussi Eskola\/Soccrates\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Erling Haaland took just 29 minutes to score his first ever World Cup goal on his tournament debut against Iraq. By the end, he had scored twice in a convincing 4-1 victory. FIFA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norway controlled the ball early, but failed to get a shot on goal in the game’s opening 15 minutes. Then in the 29th minute, David M\u00f8ller Wolfe delivered the ball from the left side of the field to find Haaland waiting at the right corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He equaled Norway’s all-time World Cup goal record (Kjetil Rekdal, two goals) in a single half, giving his country a lead from which it wouldn’t look back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, it was a game of ball control for Norway before a Leo \u00d8stigard header on a corner kick iced the game in the 76th minute. The Norwegians added to the tally with a late Iraq own goal to bump the margin to 4-1. Sky Sports<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Was Anyone Surprised?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not really. Haaland scored a hat trick in his UEFA Champions League debut in 2019. He scored a 23-minute hat trick from the bench for Borussia Dortmund in his Bundesliga debut in 2020. He netted twice for Manchester City in his Premier League debut in 2022. The Analyst<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pattern is almost unbelievable at this point. New stage, new debut \u2014 Haaland scores. The World Cup was simply the latest box to tick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You could see that he lived up to the occasion,” Norway coach Stale Solbakken said. “The occasion wasn’t too big for him.” Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In His Own Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Haaland was unfazed by the World Cup pressure. | Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite the brace, Haaland stayed grounded when asked if he’s the best goalscorer in the world right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I would say I’m up there,” Haaland said. “I don’t think I scored the most goals this season, so statistically no. Harry Kane and Mbapp\u00e9 scored more goals than me and that’s the reality.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this was clearly a deeply personal moment for him. Speaking to ESPN ahead of the tournament, Haaland had said how something felt “missing” for most of his career. “It felt missing in 2022 in Qatar and also in the Euros in 2024. So now it finally happened, and it was about time,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Norway \u2014 More Than Just Haaland<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It would be a mistake to think Norway is a one-man team. Norway are strong contenders to make a deep, underdog run at this World Cup. They won all eight of their World Cup qualifiers, and Haaland is by no means their only world-class talent \u2014 Arsenal captain Martin \u00d8degaard is their main creative presence, their second striker Alexander S\u00f8rloth leads the line for Atl\u00e9tico Madrid this season, and winger Antonio Nusa is one of world soccer’s most exciting young talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result puts Norway ahead of France in Group I on goal difference \u2014 a group that includes the very team Mbapp\u00e9 just inspired to victory over Senegal. Group I is shaping up to be one of the most competitive at the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our Take \u2014 Is Norway a Real Threat?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Honest opinion: yes, and it’s not just hype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A team that’s already scoring at this level in their opener, with a forward line featuring Haaland, S\u00f8rloth, and the creativity of \u00d8degaard, has the tools to do real damage in the knockout rounds. Norway aren’t just happy to be here after 28 years away \u2014 they look built to compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Norway do make a deep run, Haaland will be at the heart of it. Our take \u2014 keep Norway on your radar for every round they’re involved in. This is not a team to write off as a one-game wonder. NBC Sports<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What’s Next for Norway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Norway play Senegal in New Jersey on June 22 before returning to Foxborough to take on France on June 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both matches are massive for Group I positioning. A win over Senegal puts Norway in pole position; the France match could decide who tops the group outright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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