Haaland Joins World Cup Legends After Historic Scoring Start With Norway
Norway striker Erling Haaland has written his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the sixth player to score multiple goals in each of his first two tournament appearances.
The Manchester City forward achieved the feat after scoring a brace in Norway’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal on Tuesday morning.
Haaland had earlier announced his World Cup arrival with another brace in Norway’s 4-1 win against Iraq, making him one of the standout performers of the tournament so far.
According to football statistics outlet Opta, Haaland has now joined an exclusive list of players who have scored two or more goals in each of their first two World Cup appearances.
The list includes Guillermo Stabile in 1930, Sándor Kocsis in 1954, Just Fontaine in 1958, Grzegorz Lato in 1974, Harry Kane in 2018, and now Erling Haaland in 2026.
The Norwegian striker will now look to continue his incredible form when Norway face France in their final group-stage match later this week.
Opinion: Haaland’s World Cup start reflects the same ruthless finishing that has made him one of football’s most feared attackers. While club football has already witnessed his goal-scoring ability, performing on the World Cup stage adds another level to his growing legacy.
The next challenge for Haaland is proving he can maintain this level against the best teams in the world. A strong performance against France would further underline his status as one of the leading stars of the new generation.
