Whatever Kylian Mbappe can do, Erling Haaland can match.
After the France superstar kicked off his 2026 World Cup campaign with a fantastic brace, Haaland followed suit.
Norway had not reached a World Cup for 28 years, but did not look rusty in their opener against Iraq – playing in their first tournament since 1986 – in Boston. One of the most open and watchable matches of the tournament so far took place, with Haaland the undoubted star of the show in a 4-1 win.
FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams has sparked plenty of debate, with 108 matches, spread across three countries and thousands of miles leaving them open to accusations of a bloated tournament. That hasn’t been much of a concern so far, with Cape Verde’s draw against Spain showing what can happen.
Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter
Nevertheless, while jetting across North America to get his face seen as much as possible, FIFA president Gianni Infantino will have been delighted when he saw the result. Not only had both teams, who qualified via the inter-confederation play-offs, given a good account of themselves, the true A-lister of the occasion stepped up.
Haaland was the top-scorer from any nation in World Cup qualifying, banging in 16 goals for Norway. His absence from previous editions has deprived them of one of the most box-office performers in world football.
But after a season in which he scored 38 goals for Manchester City, there was little doubt the 25-year-old was going to be raring to go in Boston. His appetite for goalscoring is truly unmatched and, along with his unique long-limbed movement, aerial prowess and uncanny game-reading ability, stands out among his peers.
Article continues below
View 2 ImagesErling Haaland was the main character as Norway returned to the World Cup(Image: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
from £4.50SkyGet the deal here
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.