EAST RUTHERFORD — If New York thought its alien invasion was over when the Knicks downed Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals, think again, because Erling Haaland kept his otherworldly goalscoring production in high gear on Monday night at MetLife Stadium.
The Manchester City superstar scored twice in Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal, moving the Vikings into second place in Group I, trailing France only by goal difference shortly after a Kylian Mbappe brace lifted Le Bleus past Iraq in Philadelphia.
“It is my specialty to score goals,” Haaland said with a smile, almost in a joking manner. “I’m just really good at scoring goals, and I’m quite lucky. I don’t know what I’m doing, but that’s just how it is.”
This is shaping up to be the greatest race for the Golden Boot in World Cup history. Lionel Messi has five goals for Argentina in two matches after a brace on Monday afternoon against Austria down in Texas. Both Mbappe and Haaland are just one behind with four after their two-goal performances later in the day.
Yet the sheer precision of Haaland’s brutal attack is what puts him in another stratosphere — and has proven unstoppable for any human being brave enough to try and step in his path. After his big night in the shadow of the Big Apple, Haaland has scored in 12 straight matches for Norway, finding the back of the net 21 times during that stretch.
He practically put his country on his broad shoulders during qualifying, scoring a staggering 16 goals in just eight games to send Norway to its first World Cup since 1998.
He needed just two touches to score his goals on Monday night. Played through by Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard on the counter-attack, he cannoned a left-footed effort into the top-right corner of the goal three minutes into the second half to give Norway a 2-0 lead.
Just five minutes after Ismaila Sarr pulled one back for Senegal in the 53rd minute, Haaland redirected a Patrick Berg cross with a right-side-footed volley from eight yards out that caromed off the crossbar and in.
He is just the second player in the last 50 years (Harry Kane, 2018) to score multiple goals in his first two World Cup matches. In 52 caps for his country, he has 59 goals, which puts him on pace to obliterate the current international record held by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary, flashy forward has 143 goals in 229 appearances for his country.
At Haaland’s current pace, he would have 259 goals. In a poor attempt to avoid hyperbole, that is simply unbelievable.
But there is zero indication that he can be stopped. Haaland is just 25, and Norway is shaping up to be a legitimate European threat as long as he wears its No. 9 shirt. That already puts the World Cup’s all-time goal-scoring record, wherever it may settle when Messi’s tournament is over — he passed Mirsolav Klose’s mark of 16 on Monday and now sits at 18 — and Mbappe (16) subsequently passes him in the coming years.
All this is coming from one of the most unlikely corners of Europe. After all, this is just the fourth time Norway has ever appeared in a World Cup.
“He’s the best striker,” Solbakken said. “He’s not playing for France or Argentina. He’s playing for Norway. He’s scoring braces on the biggest stage for Norway… It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France or Argentina. But we will try to give him more help in the next game… I’m very happy that he’s scoring on the biggest stage.”
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