Erling Haaland scored two goals in his World Cup finals debut on September 1, helping Norway to a 4-1 win over Iraq at the 2026 World Cup [1]. Norway qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1998, breaking a 28-year absence from the finals [2].
Haaland’s performance drew praise from both coaches. Norway manager Stale Solbakken said, "You can see he lived up to the occasion - it wasn't too big for him" [1]. Iraq coach Graham Arnold called Haaland "one of the best number nines I've ever seen. He's so strong, so quick and he's just lethal" [1].
Before the 2026 World Cup, Haaland had not played in a major international tournament because Norway had failed to qualify in recent cycles [2]. In UEFA qualifying for 2026, Haaland scored 16 goals—eight more than any other player in just eight games—leading Norway’s charge to the finals [2].
Norway secured their World Cup spot with a notable 4-1 victory over Italy in Milan in November 2025, a key moment in ending their decades-long absence from the tournament [2]. Reflecting on his World Cup debut, Haaland said, "It felt missing in 2022 in Qatar and also in the Euros in 2024. So now it finally happened, and it was about time" [2].
Norway will now continue their World Cup campaign aiming to build on their successful return to the tournament after nearly three decades away.
