👀 Is it in the genes? Only the Haalands have this cheat code

The euphoria was immense, and even greater for the Norwegian national team, as they directly qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 4-1 victory over Italy . The standout player: once again, City superstar Erling Haaland , who impressively shows game after game for the national team that he knows exactly where the goal is.

Against Italy alone, he scored twice – he clearly leads the scoring list of the European World Cup qualification with 16 (!) goals and has scored in every single qualification match. Just for comparison: Currently, in second place is the Austrian Marko Arnautović with eight goals.

– Monday, 17 November 2025

It is clear: Haaland has made a huge contribution to Norway qualifying for a World Cup for the first time in 28 years with eight wins from eight qualifying matches.

And one might come to think that there is a kind of cheat code in the Haaland family that helps lead the Norwegian national team to the biggest tournament in world football. Because who was part of the team in 1998 that perfected the qualification for the last World Cup with Norwegian participation? Correct: Alf-Inge Haaland – Erling's father!

– Monday, 17 November 2025

In 1994, he made his debut for Norway's senior national team, was part of the 1994 World Cup , and was also on a good path in '98. In the qualification, he was an indispensable support for his team – an injury ultimately prevented his participation. Nevertheless: How to lead Norway to a World Cup has likely been a topic in the Haaland household for quite some time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 ALBERTO PIZZOLI - AFP or licensors