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How Haaland fired Norway to the World Cup
Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament next summer, after leading Norway to the World Cup.
And the 25-year-old Manchester City striker did it in sensational style, scoring 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers - netting at least once in every one of those games.
That makes him the top scorer in 2026 World Cup qualifying in any continent.
And his country's 4-1 win in Italy on Sunday, where Haaland scored twice, means they will be playing in next summer's World Cup in North America.
Haaland, speaking to TV2 afterwards, said: "I'm happy, but more relieved. There's a lot of pressure and stuff, and I feel it. But it's fun."
It will be only their fourth World Cup, and their first major tournament since Euro 2000.
"We've not had someone who's been an outright superstar in the way that Erling is," said Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen.
I think there's already a case to be made that he's our greatest ever player.
Haaland's goalscoring record for Norway is nothing short of phenomenal.
He has hit 55 goals in 48 matches for his country.
And in fact he is only the sixth player ever, and the first in 53 years, to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 caps.
Norway's previous top scorer was 33-goal Jorgen Juve, who held that record for 90 years.
In these qualifiers he scored 16 goals - in eight games - plus two assists. That is double the goals tally anyone else has scored in Europe.
He is the top scorer in these qualifiers in any continent, including ones where teams play twice as more games.
Over a year has passed since Haaland last failed to score in a game for Norway.
Including games for City Haaland has scored 32 goals in 20 games this season.
But it is not just a one-man show.
Captain Martin Odegaard, 26, has more assists than anyone else in European qualifying - seven.
The Arsenal midfielder has played 67 times for Norway since making his debut at the age of 15.
"Combine Haaland's success with the fact that in this generation we also have Martin Odegaard," said Sivertsen.
"We're a country of five million people and we have both the best striker and I would argue the best playmaker, certainly one of the best playmakers, in the Premier League.
"Realistically that will not happen again in my lifetime and it's something that I am cherishing.
If we have this conversation in five years I'd be baffled if there wasn't a consensus that these are the two best footballers we've ever had.
But Sivertsen added: "I think the group of players we have would have had a shot at qualifying without him."
He compared Haaland and Odegaard's standing to that of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey when Wales got to the semi-finals at Euro 2016.
"That team doesn't work in the same way without Ashley Williams and Ben Davies at the back, without Joe Allen, without Joe Ledley," he said.
Guys like this were absolutely integral for that team to work. You have to have a support structure around these stars to give them a platform to do special things.
For the first time in a generation Norway fans will experience the joy of supporting their team at an international tournament.
Their nation competed in the World Cups in 1938, 1994 and 1998, and Euro 2000.
Haaland's father, Alf Inge, played at the 1994 tournament. Erling has previously said being better than his father was a big career ambition for him.
Alfie never won a trophy with clubs like Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Manchester City.
Erling has won the Treble with City, another title too and trophies in Austria and Germany.
A World Cup appearance was probably the only thing his dad's career had over his.
"Norway will never win the World Cup," Haaland Jr told Time Magazine in July., external
"If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it.
It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible.
Sivertsen said: "From a country our size, you're always going to be a little bit beholden to having some good generations and some bad generations.
"There have been some lean years. But more recently, the frustration has been that we have good players who play for top clubs, but we've still missed a couple of tournaments.
"That is enormously frustrating. So I think there's it's almost more relief than euphoria that we finally managed to do it now.
This is a team that pound-for-pound should be in these tournaments. And finally, we're getting there.
How is Haaland, the person, seen in Norway?
"I think Erling is in some ways not a completely typical Norwegian," said Sivertsen.
"He's confident and can be a little bit brash. He knows his value and he knows his quality and he backs himself.
"Scandinavia has a culture that's more about humility. You know, someone like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer," he said referencing the former Manchester United striker, who was famed as a super sub.
"Solskjaer is kind of the ultimate Norwegian footballing hero, not just because he was successful, but because he was happy to be on the bench. He was happy to be a squad player. He didn't complain," he said.
"Erling would complain if he was on the bench. So I think he is a little bit untypical of Norwegians.
"That makes him an interesting hero for us, because there will be moments of backlash.
"He is now just in a different strata of star than what we used to from our sporting heroes.
But I think if you look across the country, there is just an extraordinary sense of pride that a player is doing the things he does is from our country.
Haaland heading to next summer's World Cup with Norway means he avoids his name going on the list of great players who never featured in one.
Three Ballon d'Or winners never managed to reach a World Cup.
George Weah, who won trophies with Monaco, PSG, AC Milan and Chelsea, played for Liberia - who have never reached a World Cup.
Iconic Manchester United winger George Best, considered by many to be one of football's greatest players, was a Northern Ireland international during the 1960s and 70s when they did not qualify.
Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano played for three countries - Argentina, Colombia and Spain - but never got to a World Cup with any of them.
He missed the 1962 World Cup through injury for Spain, as did another multi-national legend who never played at the top tournament - Barcelona icon Laszlo Kubala - who also played for Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
Gunnar Nordahl is AC Milan's all-time leading goalscorer with 221 goals, but never played at a World Cup for Sweden.
Sweden did not allow professionals to play in the national team at the time.
Wales legends Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush also missed out on playing at World Cups.
Source: BBC
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