Sensational! Haaland leads Norway to their first World Cup since 1998
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The Norwegian national team has officially qualified for the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. On November 16, in the final match of the qualifying campaign, the Scandinavian side faced Italy. After their emphatic 3-0 home win last summer, Norway once again got the better of the Azzurri—this time in Milan.
After conceding in the first half, Norway delivered a stunning second-half performance, firing back with four goals. The architect of this triumph was Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. The 25-year-old forward netted a brace, bringing his tally in the qualifiers to an astonishing 16 goals in just eight matches. In total, the prolific marksman now has 55 goals in 48 appearances for the Norwegian national team.
It’s worth noting that this is only the fourth time in history that Norway have reached the World Cup—and the first time since 1998. Back then, current head coach Ståle Solbakken was lighting up the pitch as a player.
