Top News

Winning trophies and top-scorer awards may have become second nature to Erling Haaland, but this week the Norwegian star stands on the brink of a rare milestone — leading his country to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 28 years. Since Haaland’s birth in 2000, Norway have failed to qualify for world football’s greatest stage, having fallen short in all six attempts, reaching the play-offs just once.

Automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is now within Norway’s grasp — and it all rests on Haaland’s shoulders. The Manchester City striker leads the UEFA qualifying charts with 12 goals in six matches, five ahead of his closest rival, Memphis Depay.

In Norway’s last qualifier against Israel, Haaland netted a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition. Just before that, he scored five and assisted two more as Norway crushed Moldova 11-1. The team has won all six of their games, holding a three-point lead over Italy ahead of the final two fixtures — a home match against Estonia on Thursday and a decisive clash with Italy at San Siro on Sunday.

Thanks to Haaland’s relentless goal-scoring form, Norway also enjoys a 16-goal advantage in goal difference — the key tie-breaker if they finish level on points with Italy. A win over Estonia, who have lost five of seven qualifiers, would all but seal Norway’s place in the World Cup.

Haaland and his teammates are cautious about taking anything for granted, but for the striker — who has already claimed every major trophy with Manchester City — reaching the World Cup would mark the biggest achievement of his career so far.

Family rivalry and legacy

Haaland shares a close bond with his father, Alfie Haaland, also a former professional footballer, but there’s a friendly family rivalry too. “He never forced me into anything, but he always knew I wanted to be great at football,” Haaland told Time magazine. “I told him long ago, ‘Hopefully I’ll become better than you.’ That’s been a motivation for me since I was young — to make a living from football and surpass him.”

It’s fair to say Erling has already eclipsed Alfie’s career. While his father earned no major honours during his two decades as a pro, Erling has already lifted nine trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League, and claimed two Golden Boots as well as Player of the Season awards in both England and Germany. However, Alfie still holds one distinction — he played in a World Cup.

Alfie was part of Norway’s 1994 World Cup squad in the USA, adding extra meaning to Erling’s quest to reach next year’s tournament and join his father in representing Norway on football’s grandest stage — and in the same host country.

Dreaming of the 'biggest party ever'

Norway last qualified for the World Cup in 1998 (without Alfie), narrowly missing out on the knockout stage in the USA four years earlier despite finishing level on points with all teams in their group. In France 1998, Norway stunned the world by reaching the Round of 16 after famously beating reigning world champions Brazil.

Although Brazil had already secured top spot in Group A, they still fielded stars like Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, and Ronaldo. Norway trailed 1-0 until the 79th minute but pulled off a sensational turnaround, winning 2-1 through Tore Andre Flo and an 89th-minute penalty from Kjetil Rekdal.

They eventually lost 1-0 to Italy in the Round of 16, but the victory over Brazil remains iconic. Haaland knows that just qualifying would be a milestone. “If we qualify for the World Cup, it would be like a big nation winning it,” he told Time. “It would be the biggest party ever — Oslo would go wild.”

‘Sick and tired’ of waiting

Norway already enjoyed a taste of celebration when they defeated Italy 3-0 in June. Despite heavy rain at the Ullevaal Stadion, fans stayed long after the final whistle, cheering their heroes. “People didn’t want to go home,” said coach Stale Solbakken. “The rain was pouring, but they were there well before and after the match.”

Solbakken, who featured in the 1998 World Cup squad, offers a link to the past, though he’s eager to move beyond nostalgia. “We’re sick and tired of talking about that now. It’s been 25 years since Norway played in a major tournament — it’s time to change that,” he said.

Solbakken’s personal story is remarkable too. In 2000, while training with FC Copenhagen, he suffered a cardiac arrest and was clinically dead for nearly seven minutes before being revived. He later spent 30 hours in a coma. “It’s a miracle he’s still alive,” said the club doctor who saved him.

Guiding the new golden generation

Forced to retire at 30, Solbakken turned to coaching in 2002 and went on to win eight league titles with Copenhagen before taking charge of Norway in 2020. He now leads one of the most talented Norwegian squads in decades, featuring Haaland, captain Martin Odegaard (currently injured), Haaland’s City teammate Oscar Bobb, Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid, Antonio Nusa of RB Leipzig, Sander Berge of Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Ryerson.

“Offensively, we’ve got players with genuine X-factor now. We feel we can always score,” Solbakken said. “Defensively we’re stronger too. The balance is better. The mood in the group has always been good, but there’s a sharper edge now because of our success.”

Few possess Haaland’s X-factor, but Solbakken insists he’s humble and disciplined. “He’s very down-to-earth and works hard defensively,” the coach noted. “He puts the team before himself. When others score, he celebrates just as much. He knows he’s a leader and looks after his teammates. Everyone understands Erling is our biggest match-winner — our job is to get him into the right areas to score and dominate.”

Relentless pursuit of goals

Haaland’s selfless drive was evident in September’s 11-1 thrashing of Moldova. Before the game, he emphasised the importance of goal difference in Norway’s qualification hopes and urged teammates to score as many as possible. He led by example, netting five times and sprinting to restart after each goal to maximise opportunities to add more.

His efforts gave Norway a commanding edge over Italy, and the same intensity carried into their 5-0 win against Israel. Even after missing a penalty and its retake, Haaland bounced back with a hat-trick and forced an own goal.

Italy, in contrast, have looked less ruthless, beating Israel 3-0 and Estonia 3-1. They face Moldova next, but Norway could already be out of reach by then.

‘Main goal of my career’

With such a huge goal difference cushion and Estonia next up, even Norway’s Central Statistical Office predicts a 99.9% chance of qualification if they win, even by a single goal. Solbakken admits fans already assume it’s a done deal.

For Haaland, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “The last World Cup was in 1998, two years before I was born,” he said. “I’ve always said my goal is to take Norway to a World Cup and the Euros. That’s the main goal of my career. Now I have the chance — it’s about taking it.”

History beckons for Haaland — and for Norway — as they stand just two matches away from ending nearly three decades of waiting.