2026 World Cup: Erling Haaland is proving himself on the world stage - but was there ever any doubt?

Ahead of Norway's 2026 World Cup clash with France, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses however Erling Haaland has performed for the Vikings astatine the tournament.

Matt Law, Football Editor: 'Norway are a existent threat'

Those stats are conscionable hilarious and fantastic successful the champion imaginable way. 

In the past crippled helium made conscionable 12 close passes, truthful arsenic a centre guardant helium is touching the shot precise small successful presumption of wide play. 

There was an absorbing constituent Jamie Carragher made erstwhile Man City signed Haaland: is it the close club? 

Man City don't person that counterattacking menace helium had astatine Dortmund, but Norway person had chances to interruption distant due to the fact that teams volition travel onto them, and that is going to beryllium a existent threat. His 2nd extremity against Senegal was a classical cut-back into the container and finish. 

Norway are a existent threat. He's 25 and has 59 planetary goals, which I deliberation is 26 much than anyone other for his nationalist team.

They've had bully strikers done the years: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, John Carew, Tore Andre Flo, Steffen Iversen. But his numbers are conscionable obscene. 

You can't adjacent deliberation astir the numbers helium did astatine Dortmund oregon the numbers helium is doing astatine Man City. 

He is different 1 who inactive gets criticism, surely past play of possibly not being arsenic good, but helium ever comes up with the goals. 

No 1 doubted that helium would beryllium capable to people goals astatine this level, albeit successful a lesser side. He is not playing for a France oregon Spain who spell into astir games arsenic favourites. 

He's successful the moving for the Golden Ball. Wouldn't it beryllium astonishing if Norway reached the quarter-finals, and tin helium get 8 oregon 9 goals successful the tourney to propulsion him up with Messi and Mbappe?

FIFA volition emotion the information that truthful galore of the large players are doing well: Messi, Mbappe, Haaland, Ronaldo is present disconnected the mark, Kane, Vini Jr.

There has been a batch of disapproval of the World Cup for assorted reasons, but the large players are among the goals, and that is precisely what they want. 

How good tin Haaland do? Norway are truly ones to watch.