Erling Haaland shines on his World Cup debut: Zlatan admits he is “getting closer to Zlatan”
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
Successful entry into the running for Erling Haaland in the World Cup: double and performance praised by Zlatan Ibrahimović, who recognized that the Norwegian striker was getting closer to his iconic status. A look back at the game and the notable figures of the Manchester City phenomenon.
Erling Haaland didn't miss his World Cup debut. On Tuesday, the Norwegian striker scored twice in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq, a performance that sparked praise from Zlatan Ibrahimović on FOX.
“It’s a great start. It was what we wanted and we got it. It was all about Haaland,” Ibrahimović said on the World Cup Live show. The former Swedish striker went further, joking about his personal ranking: “I might just move him up my 'King of the Jungle' list. He gets closer to Zlatan. We are therefore very satisfied with his performance today. »
Aged 25, Haaland thus marks his first appearance in the final phase of a World Cup with a high-flying performance. Before this match, Ibrahimović only ranked him fifth on his famous list — proof that the Norwegian still had something to prove on the world stage.
The statistics provided after the match underline the magnitude of the season and the progress of the Manchester City scorer:
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- 33: Haaland has now scored in 33 of his 51 matches with Norway.
- 14: Norway have won 14 consecutive matches when Haaland scores (all competitions combined).
- 16: The Norwegian national team remains undefeated (16-0-0) when Haaland achieves a multi-goal match.
- 11: Tuesday was his 11th consecutive official international match with at least one goal; he has a total of 22 achievements in this series.
- 17: Since the start of 2023, Haaland has found the net in 17 of his 20 official matches with Norway (30 goals).
- 16: During the World Cup qualifiers, Haaland led the rankings with 16 goals.
- 18: Between qualifying and Tuesday's match, he scored 18 goals, at an average of two goals per match over nine matches.
- 9.17: His player rating of 9.17 (according to FotMob) for the match is the highest recorded so far at this World Cup; Kylian Mbappé held the previous best score with 9.02.
- 162: At club level, Haaland has scored in 162 of his 198 matches with Manchester City.
- 3: He won the Premier League Golden Boot three times in his first four seasons at Manchester City.
- 36: His 36 goals in 2022-23 remain the record for goals in a Premier League season.
Haaland also joins a small group of players having scored a double at the start of the World Cup, notably alongside Frenchman Kylian Mbappé.
How to watch the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, split between the United States, Mexico and Canada. The final is scheduled for July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford (New Jersey). According to the broadcasters indicated, all 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast on FOX and FS1, with each match available live and in replay via the FOX One and FOX Sports applications.