Norway ended their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign strongly by beating Italy 4-1 in Milan on Sunday night. The win saw them qualify for the North American tournament after a 27-year hiatus, with their last appearance in 1998 when Norway were knocked out by Italy in the round of 16.
Haaland equals a record of over 60 years | PHOTO Profimedia
The 25-year-old Norwegian striker scored a brace against Italy, making it 11 consecutive games with a goal for the national team. A feat that ties him with the FIFA international record set more than 60 years ago by Malaysia’s Abdul Ghani Minhat.
Erling Haaland’s impressive streak began on November 14, 2024, in the win against Slovenia, and has continued unbroken since, except for a recent friendly against New Zealand, in which the striker did not feature.
Comparatively, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the maximum in 6 consecutive matches for Portugal, and Lionel Messi reached 8 matches for Argentina.
Italy, humiliated by Norway in the preliminaries for WC 2026
Italy had a nightmare night on home soil, losing 4-1 to Norway in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Squadrra Azzurra got off to a promising start, opening the scoring in the 11th minute through Inter striker Esposito.
Erling Haaland was the protagonist of the evening, signing a sensational “double”, and the goals of Nusa and Larsen closed the table at 4-1. The victory gave the Norwegians the qualification group win and a direct place at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
