OSLO, Norway — Manchester City striker Erling Haaland missed two penalties in Norway’s match against Israel but still secured a hat trick in a commanding 5-0 victory during World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
Haaland’s first attempt from the spot was saved low by Daniel Peretz. The Polish referee Szymon Marciniak ordered the penalty to be retaken due to the goalkeeper’s early movement off the line.
On the second attempt, Haaland aimed for the corner but was once again denied by Peretz, who guessed correctly and tipped the shot away as Haaland looked on in disbelief.
Later in the first half, Haaland found the back of the net with a low drive following a pass from Alexander Sørloth, marking his 10th goal in this qualifying campaign.
He then added two more goals to bring his total to 12, leading all players in UEFA qualifying matches. For his club, he has similarly netted 12 goals in nine games this season, raising his total to 136 goals in 155 appearances for Manchester City.
This hat trick boosted Haaland’s career total for Norway to 51 goals, extending his record as the country’s all-time leading scorer. He reached his 50-goal milestone in just 46 matches, significantly quicker than Harry Kane, who took 71 matches with England, Neymar of Brazil with 74, and Kylian Mbappé of France who took 90 games.
This victory keeps Norway’s qualifying campaign perfect, with six wins out of six matches. They currently sit nine points ahead of Italy in Group I, though Italy could still potentially close the gap for the automatic World Cup berth next summer.
Norway hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998.
Prior to the match, there were peaceful demonstrations in support of Palestine in Oslo, with a police presence established nearby. Protesters chanted phrases such as “Shut down the embassy,” carried red cards, and one woman displayed a sign that read “Game Over Israel.” A handful of fans continued their protests outside the stadium after kickoff.
The match drew a near-capacity crowd of 22,000 to 23,000, though seating was reduced by 3,000 to enhance security near Israeli fans.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.