Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. The Norwegian striker scored twice in his country’s 4-1 victory over Iraq on June 17, playing the full 90 minutes and creating an additional chance.
Norway hadn’t appeared at a World Cup since 1998. That’s 28 years of watching from the couch.
The qualifying campaign that made this possible
He topped the entire European qualifying phase with 16 goals in just eight matches. No other player in the qualifying rounds managed more than eight goals during the same period. He literally doubled the next best tally.
One of the signature moments came against Italy, where Haaland scored a brace to clinch Norway’s place at the tournament.
