Haaland fuels Norway's World Cup belief as nation ends 28-year wait

Norway are back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and Erling Haaland’s 16 qualifying goals have turned a nation’s long-held hope into genuine expectation ahead of the 2026 tournament in North America.

The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway’s last World Cup appearance in 1998, making qualification a deeply personal milestone. “It was a lot of pressure,” Haaland told ESPN. “It is a lot of pressure now still, but yeah, I could feel it ever since I started with the national team, the pressure to get to a World Cup. To qualify for the World Cup is a really special thing. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be amazing. Finally.”

Norway blitzed their qualifying group, plundering 37 goals across eight matches and topping a section that included Italy — whom they beat twice. More than 30,000 supporters braved freezing temperatures in Oslo to welcome the squad home when qualification was confirmed.

The mood inside the country has since shifted from relief to ambition. Former Norway and Premier League striker Jan Åge Fjørtoft captured the national sentiment when speaking ahead of the tournament. “The optimism in Norway is big,” he said. “We are just discussing who we are going to meet in the final. That is the boiling point in Norway right now. I find myself being the one to hold back a bit.”

Haaland is the headline act, but Norway’s case as dark horses rests on more than one player. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard gives them a second world-class operator in midfield, and the squad’s depth has impressed observers throughout qualifying.

Their group presents a genuine test, with France and Senegal among the opponents alongside opening rivals Iraq. However, with the top three sides in each group advancing to the knockout rounds, Norway are widely expected to progress. VG Sporten journalist Steffen Stenersen acknowledged Haaland’s central role while stressing the collective quality. “It certainly helps having him,” he said. “Erling and Martin Odegaard are world class.”

Thousands of Norwegian supporters are expected to travel to the United States, while large public screenings are planned across the country. For many fans, this tournament represents a once-in-a-generation chance to watch their national side on the biggest stage — a feeling Haaland, at 24, shares entirely.