Erling Haaland has helped Norway make a positive start to their World Cup qualifying campaign by scoring in a 5-0 rout against Moldova in Chisinau.
Norway’s third and last World Cup appearance was back in 1998, two years before Haaland was born.
Burt now the Manchester City superstar leads a team which also features brilliant Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and has high expectations of reaching the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Scandinavians are favoured to win Group I, which also includes Estonia and Israel.
Haaland scored Norway’s second goal against the outmatched Moldova, taking his his extraordinary career haul to 39 goals in 40 appearances for his country since his 2019 debut.
Dortmund defender Julian Ryerson opened the scoring for Norway five minutes after kickoff in Chisinau.
Haaland doubled the lead in the 23rd, with Thelo Aasgaard, who assisted Ryerson for the opener, making it three before Odegaard set up Alexander Sorloth before halftime. Substitute Aron Donnum then got on the scoreboard in the second half.
Haaland already knows what it is to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup with City, but he has yet to take his country to a major tournament.
Injury ruled him out of several matches during Norway’s unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup. Norway also failed to qualify for the 2024 European Championship when they disappointed with a third-place group finish behind Spain and Scotland.