Erling Haaland grinned widely on the Dallas pitch, sporting a Viking helmet at a playful angle as he soaked in the atmosphere.
Just moments before, Norway had just secured a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, marking their first knockout win in World Cup history. This achievement sparked an exuberant celebration, with players and fans participating in the now-famous Viking Row led by Martin Ødegaard on the drum.
Haaland has an impressive tally of 60 goals in 53 senior international matches, translating to an average of a goal every 72 minutes; however, the first 55 of those goals occurred without any major tournament appearances since Norway had not qualified for one during his lifetime.
At the 2026 World Cup, though, Haaland has made a significant impact, netting five goals in just three matches—only Lionel Messi has scored more in North America. Judging by his beaming smile on the field in Dallas and his playful antics on social media, it’s clear this stage suits him well.
“Norway are a very good team, and it’s purely because of that man,” remarked former England captain and BBC pundit Wayne Rooney. “His goals have shown that he belongs at this World Cup level.”
“He is simply devastating. He may not have been heavily involved in the game, but he still found a way to score the winning goal.”
Haaland has now scored in each of his last 13 competitive matches for Norway, amassing a remarkable 25 goals during this streak.
As one enthusiastic Norway supporter told BBC Sport in Dallas: “He means everything to us. He’s incredibly decisive in moments like this.”
“He’s one of the key reasons we qualified in the first place and the reason we won today. He’s by far the most important player. He’s the greatest player Norway has ever had, and probably ever will have.”
No current male international footballer comes close to Haaland’s exceptional scoring rate, raising the question: how many goals can he potentially score for Norway?