HAALAND HAS WORLD AT HIS FEET

EX-STRIKER TIPS ERLING TO MAKE BIG IMPACT IN USA

- By TYRONE MARSHALL

ERLING Haaland got the cheeseburgers in on Thursday night in Oslo, fresh from the double of his own that ensured the party would last long into the Norwegian night.

Twenty-six years after they last graced a major tournament and 28 years after they played in a World Cup, Norway will be back on the biggest stage in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026 and Haaland did more than most to ensure they would get there.

This is a golden generation of Norwegian footballers - at least in attacking positions - and is led by the Premier League pair of Haaland and Martin Odegaard. The latter is the captain but missed the November games with an injury, handing the armband to Haaland, who delivered on the pitch and then collected the fast food delivery outside the Ullevaal Stadium soon after full-time.

For all the talk of an expanded 48-team World Cup, Norway would have qualified under the old format and topped a group that included Italy.

Haaland top-scored in qualifying with 16 goals in eight games, double his nearest rival in Europe. He added two in Italy on Sunday to his two against Estonia on Thursday as Norway won both games 4-1 to complete a perfect campaign.

Jan Aage Fjortoft was part of the Norwegian side that qualified for the World Cup in 1994, reaching the tournament on that occasion for the first time since 1938.

He is a former teammate of Erling’s father, Alf Inge and was granted access to the family to film a documentary on Erling’s decision to move to City in 2022.

It was during filming when the former Premier League striker, now a respected pundit for Norwegian TV, got the feeling that success was brewing for the national team.

“I went into camp and we did a bit with Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge and Erling,” Fjortoft told M.E.N. Sport.