Haaland’s Dominance in Football
If you were to design a football player in a video game, one with the physical traits of Erling Haaland, your friends might protest against using him in any serious matches. Standing a towering 6’5″ with incredible agility, this Norwegian forward is truly a force to be reckoned with. His combine of size and speed, along with an uncanny ability to score, makes him a player even someone like James Cameron might find excessive.
People who aren’t familiar with Haaland will soon notice the impact he’s had in England and throughout Europe. The 25-year-old has netted an eye-popping 188 goals in 212 international matches, with notable stints at Borussia Dortmund and his current team, Manchester City.
For the Norwegian national team, he has already amassed a remarkable 55 goals in just 49 games, surpassing the long-standing record held by Jorgen Juve by 22 goals.
During his first season in the Premier League, Haaland shattered the long-standing single-season goal record, doing so in nine fewer matches than the previous record holder. That season, he also helped lead Manchester City to numerous titles, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. In the following season, City secured their second consecutive Golden Boot and another Premier League title, along with their debut trophy at the FIFA Club World Cup.
As of the current league season, Haaland has played 111 matches for City and, on November 26, 2025, reached 100 league goals, breaking a 29-year-old record previously held with 124 matches. By May 1, his 109 league goals placed him tied for 28th in Premier League history, creating questions about whether Alan Shearer’s all-time record of 260 goals will remain safe unless Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Paris Saint-Germain show interest.
This World Cup marks Haaland’s debut, as it is also Norway’s first appearance in 28 years.
Beyond friendly matches, Norway’s participation in the relatively new UEFA Nations League has been notable, where Haaland has scored 19 goals across three tournaments; that’s four more than Cristiano Ronaldo in four different competitions.
With Haaland now part of the World Cup, there’s a potential for a historic individual competition. He already holds the record for the most goals in a single match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, having scored an incredible nine times during Norway’s 12-0 win over Honduras in 2019.
Just as it seems impossible to keep Fontaine’s record of 13 goals for France from the 1958 World Cup at bay, keeping Haaland off the scoresheet may be similarly daunting.
Norway is currently ranked 37th in the FIFA Team Rankings and will be in Group I, but they might not feel very fortunate about the pairing as they make their long-awaited return.
France, currently the number one team globally, is leading the group while trying to secure their third consecutive World Cup finals appearance. Senegal is in 14th place and appears likely to qualify for the 2025 African Cup of Nations. Iraq is at the bottom of the group, ranked 57th.
While France is expected to dominate the group stage, Haaland could play a pivotal role in Norway’s chances of progressing to the finals.
In the match against Iraq, could Haaland break Oleg Salenko’s record of five goals in a game from the 1994 World Cup? And what about Norway’s chances of at least drawing against Senegal or France? If they manage that, it’s easy to imagine Haaland could be contending for the Golden Boot.
- Norway vs. Iraq — June 16 — 6 p.m. ET, Foxboro, Mass. (Gillette Stadium)
- Norway vs. Senegal — June 22 — 8:00 p.m. ET from East Rutherford, N.J. (MetLife Stadium)
- Norway vs. France — June 26 — 3:00 p.m. ET, Foxboro, Mass. (Gillette Stadium)
