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Star striker for the Norway national team, Erling Haaland, guided his teammates to a convincing victory over Israel in the European zone qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The presence of Haaland within the squad has given the Norwegian national team great confidence as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

After a long 28-year wait since their last appearance in the 1998 edition, Norway has finally secured their return to the world’s biggest football stage.

The Vikings advanced directly to the 2026 World Cup finals by finishing as group winners in the qualifiers.

Placed in Group I alongside tough opponents such as Italy, Norway managed to win every single match during the qualification stage.

Under the leadership of coach Stale Solbakken, Norway recorded 8 wins from 8 matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding only 5.

They even defeated Italy both home and away, earning a perfect total of 24 points.

It is no surprise that this generation of Norwegian players is now being dubbed the country’s ‘golden generation.’

Norway’s success in the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers cannot be separated from the outstanding performance of Manchester City forward Erling Haaland.

Haaland netted 16 goals during the qualifiers, making him the tournament’s top scorer.

His closest competitors in Europe were Marko Arnautovic of Austria, England captain Harry Kane, and Netherlands all-time top scorer Memphis Depay, each with eight goals.

Coach Solbakken admitted that managing Haaland was never a challenge.

The 25-year-old striker is described as easy to guide and coach.

Moreover, Haaland’s presence has elevated Norway’s overall form to new heights.

“Erling Haaland is a player who is very easy to coach,” Solbakken said in an interview with FIFA’s official website.

“He always prioritises the team’s interests, enjoys spending time with his teammates, and likes to have fun with the staff around the squad.”

“He’s a very relaxed star,” Solbakken added.

Regarding the “dark horse” label now attached to Norway by many football fans around the world, Solbakken responded with humility and composure.

The 58-year-old coach firmly dismissed suggestions that his team should be considered strong contenders for the tournament’s final stages.

Norway finds itself in a challenging group, with France being the clear favourite to progress smoothly from the group stage.

Assessing the competition, Solbakken predicted that the other three teams in the group would have to fight hard to secure the second and third spots.

His first realistic goal is to ensure Norway advances past the group stage and qualifies for the round of 32.

“When you qualify for the World Cup for the first time after such a long absence, I don’t think you should overthink expectations,” Solbakken continued.

“You have to carry those expectations with you, and hopefully, we can play the same way we did during the qualifiers.”

“I don’t think we need to be afraid, but even so, we are in a very tough group against one of the favourites. It’s going to be a difficult challenge no matter what,” he concluded.