KATHMANDU: This is the first World Cup for him. However, in his debut tournament itself, he is presenting a challenge in the Golden Boot competition alongside the defending champions’ captain Lionel Messi of Argentina and captain Kylian Mbappe of France. He is the striker of Norway, Erling Haaland.

Until some time ago, Haaland’s identity was limited to being a lethal striker for the English club Manchester City. But now, he is establishing himself as the hope, confidence, and symbol of a new generation for Norwegian football. He has also become the main character in bringing Norway back into the spotlight after being overshadowed for a long time on the big stage of world football.

Inspired by Haaland’s outstanding performance, Norway has made a comeback to the World Cup after 28 years and secured a place in the Round of 16. With a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the group stage, Norway charted its journey into the knockout stage. In this match, he scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute. Undefeated in the World Cup qualifiers, Norway has not lost any other match in the main tournament except for the defeat against the defending champions France (a match in which 10 key players, including Haaland, did not step onto the field).

Norwegian team

Haaland has maintained his influential form in the tournament. Becoming the decisive player for the team, he scored 5 goals in three matches, consisting of two group stage matches and one Round of 32 match. He did not just score goals but also played the role of bringing victory to the team in crucial moments. Whether it was the two goals in the 3-2 win against Senegal or delivering a 2-1 victory in a match heading toward a draw against Ivory Coast, his performance became decisive for Norway.

According to Norway’s coach Ståle Solbakken, Haaland’s talent is not limited only to scoring goals; he is also the pillar of the team’s confidence. He says, “He is the best goal scorer in the world, there is no doubt about this. In the match against Ivory Coast, he did not appear very active, but he created a big opportunity in the first half and later scored the decisive goal as well. He is truly an exceptional player. Having a player like him in the team adds confidence and stability.”

Norway is one of the prosperous nations in the world. The immense wealth earned from oil has made it economically rich. However, it could not build a remarkable identity in football for a long time. Although Brazil is renowned for its artistic game and England for its historical legacy, Norway did not have a distinct football identity.

Norway’s biggest achievements were reaching the Round of 16 in the 1998 World Cup and its very debut in the 2000 UEFA European Championship. In world football, Germany was known for discipline.

The interesting coincidence is that Haaland was born in the exact same year when Norway was competing in the group stage against Spain, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Slovenia in the European Championship. Thereafter, Norway tried 12 consecutive times in the qualifiers for the World Cup and the European Championship. But it could not secure a place. Even after Haaland made his debut for the senior national team, the initial years were not easy. Despite his presence, Norway missed out on the 2022 Qatar World Cup as well as the UEFA European Championships 2020 and 2024.

However, he had already proven his exceptional goal-scoring ability from the very beginning through the national team’s various age groups. Haaland, who scored a hat-trick against Scotland playing for the Under-19 (U-19) team in 2018, set a world record by scoring 9 goals in a single match against Honduras in the 2019 FIFA Under-20 (U-20) World Cup. Becoming the top goal scorer in the same tournament, he also won the ‘Golden Boot.’

Having made his debut for the senior team in 2019, he scored his first international goal in 2020. Since then, he has been establishing himself as Norway’s most reliable goal scorer. By scoring against Slovenia in 2024, he recorded the title of Norway’s all-time top goal scorer under his own name.

Ivory Coast players react following their defeat against Norway

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Haaland appeared in an even more unique rhythm. Scoring 16 goals in eight matches, he led the campaign to take Norway to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. His decisive goal against Italy, the five goals scored in the wide 11-1 victory against Moldova, and the achievement of completing 50 goals in just 46 international matches made his impact even clearer.

The 2026 World Cup is the first major international tournament for Haaland. He was born on 21 July 2000, about two years after Norway lost its last World Cup match 1-0 against Italy in 1998. Therefore, as much as the World Cup was a long wait for Norwegian supporters, it became the same for Haaland.

From the very beginning of his professional career, he represented a national team that raised hopes repeatedly in the qualifiers of the World Cup and European Championship but could not reach the final destination. The 2022 World Cup qualification campaign became the biggest example of that. When Haaland was absent due to an injury in the decisive match, Norway’s World Cup dream remained unfulfilled once again.

But this time, the story is different. Haaland has finally stepped onto the biggest stage of world football. Before the tournament started, Norway was viewed as a potential ‘dark horse’ team. By the time the group stage ended, that assumption had become even stronger. “He feels proud to play for his country. For a small country like Norway, scoring 5 goals in three matches in the World Cup is a really good thing, all the credit for that goes to him,” says coach Solbakken.

Norway now has Haaland, one of the top goal scorers of the World Cup. In the midfield, there is the Premier League winner and captain of Arsenal, Martin Ødegaard. Coach Ståle Solbakken has made Norway into a team that does not depend on just one player. Haaland is definitely their biggest weapon, but collective performance has made Norway a strong team.

When Norway defeated Iraq 4-1 in the first match of the group stage, Haaland scored two goals. By scoring two goals in his very first match of the World Cup, he gave proof of why he is considered one of the best strikers in world football.

In the second match, Norway beat the Africa Cup of Nations winner Senegal 3-2. In that match as well, scoring two goals, Haaland became the main hero of the victory. Although Senegal returned a goal in the final moments to reduce the margin, Norway secured the crucial three points. After scoring two goals each in two consecutive matches, he also created history by becoming the first Norwegian player to score in his first three matches of the World Cup.

Erling Haaland poses for a photo after Norway advances to the Round of 16

In the final match of the group stage, however, coach Ståle Solbakken gave rest to Haaland and Ødegaard, keeping the knockout stage in mind. Norway was defeated 4-1 by the defending champions France in that match. Nonetheless, due to the impact shown by Haaland in the first two matches and the overall performance of Norway, the team had already reached the Round of 32 one match in advance.

Haaland’s journey did not start from the capital Oslo. He comes from a small rural settlement named Bryne. There, players performing excellently do not receive expensive rewards but sometimes get gifts of eggs or mutton. Supporters arriving on tractors to watch the matches is a normal sight of the lifestyle there.

Having grown up in this environment, Haaland has now become one of the most expensive and famous footballers in the world. But he has not forgotten his roots. He still returns to the village, shops at the local store, speaks in his own rural accent, and prefers to show himself as an ordinary person.

In Norwegian culture, this is called ‘Folkelig,’ which means remaining connected with the common people. His tall height, long blonde hair, rigorous training, and composed nature have given him a separate identity among modern football stars.

Haaland’s lifestyle is amazing. He practices physical exercises while chopping firewood in the forest. He consumes thousands of calories of food daily. He likes beef, and it is said that he has a habit of drinking raw milk after training. All these aspects make him look like a ‘Viking warrior’ of the modern era.

But Haaland’s biggest strength is not his physical stature, it is his mental determination. He once said, ‘I am always thinking about football.’ The tune of the Champions League plays on his morning alarm itself.

The reward of that dedication has been seen in the World Cup as well. In the race for the Golden Boot, Messi and Mbappe are at the top position with an equal 6 goals. Haaland is chasing Messi, who is playing his potential last World Cup, with 5 goals. Behind him are Vinícius Junior of Brazil and Ousmane Dembélé of France. There are an equal 4-4 goals under the names of these two.

Haaland and Norway’s next challenge will be against Brazil to enter the quarterfinals. Norway will face a difficult test against the team containing the spectacular performance of Brazil’s star Junior. Haaland himself, who is in excellent form, does not consider his team the favorite to win.

“Right now, the entire nation of Norway is excited by the success of the national team. This support from the fans has given us additional energy. However, our chances of moving forward are very low,” he says.

History, however, has given Norway some grounds for hope. In the previous four meetings between the two teams, Brazil has not been able to defeat Norway. But Haaland says that present performance matters more than past statistics. Therefore, he appears focused on performing excellently on the field rather than repeating history.