Norway’s 11-1 rout raises questions over WC qualifiers

Upsets from small nations are romantic when they happen, but they are rare

- BY SHAMSEER MOHAMMED Staff Writer

Erling Haaland fired Norway to a staggering 11-1 win over Moldova in Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier.

The Manchester City striker was unstoppable, bagging five goals, while Thelo Aasgard chipped in with four of his own after coming off the bench.

On the surface, the headlines write themselves: another Haaland masterclass. The Scandinavian super striker has now scored 48 International goals from 45 games now. That’s incredible numbers.

But when you dig a little deeper, and that game highlights a much bigger problem with how qualifying football is structured, especially in Europe. What played out in Oslo was not really a contest. It was a mismatch that exposed the gulf in money and player development between nations.