For striker Erling Haaland, playing in the World Cup is "like a dream come true". The 25-year-old stated that his biggest goal for a long time has been to lead Norway to the World Cup. "Now that it has come true, I am very happy," he said. "Whenever I watched the World Cup before, I cheered for a different team. I am very happy for Norwegian children to be able to cheer for their own national team this time." Norway will kick off their World Cup 2026 Group I campaign against Iraq on 16/6, before facing Senegal on 22/6 and France on 26/6.

Norway has only participated in the World Cup finals two times previously, exiting in the group stage in 1994 and reaching the round of 16 in 1998. Their last major tournament was Euro 2000, which concluded a few months before Haaland was born.

Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, played for Norway at the 1994 World Cup, including a 0-1 loss to Italy at Giants Stadium in the United States. That stadium has since been demolished and replaced by New York New Jersey Stadium, where Haaland and his teammates are preparing to face Senegal. According to Haaland, the World Cup is the biggest stage in the world, and he and his teammates must play their best in every match to ensure they advance past the group stage. "My father told me that the three group stage matches are like three finals, where you play for your country and your entire life," Haaland shared. "That is why every time you watch the World Cup, you see a weaker team defeat one of the strongest. You only have three matches, and if you do not perform well, you will be eliminated."

In Group I of the European World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Norway won all 8 matches, including two victories against Italy with scores of 3-0 and 4-1. With 16 goals, Haaland became the top scorer in the qualifiers. Beyond the Man City star, Norway boasts many players competing in La Liga, the Premier League, and the Bundesliga, such as Alexander Sorloth, Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Oscar Bobb, and Antonio Nusa.

Haaland emphasized that Norway possesses not only superior height but also strength and excellent goal coordination. "Norway is exciting because of the quality and creativity we have," he added. "That is very important to become a team worth watching. We went to San Siro and won, a place where Italy rarely loses in World Cup qualifiers. That shows we can play well anywhere, no matter what happens."

Striker Erling Haaland (right) celebrates after scoring in Norway's 4-1 victory over Italy in a World Cup 2026 qualifier at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy on 16/11/2026. Photo: AFP

Thanh Quy (according to FIFA)