The football World Cup is the sport’s grandest stage, so it’s only fitting that the best players in the beautiful game are present and correct.
It doesn’t always work out that way – former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah never qualified for the tournament with Liberia, as just one example, so there were fears that another of football’s deadliest goalscorers might never get to grace the showpiece occasion.
But fear no more, as Erling Haaland’s goals in qualifying have powered Norway to their first World Cup appearance in 28 years – ensuring the Manchester City star will make his first major international tournament.
The Goal Machine
It’s quite possible that Norway could cause a stir at the finals being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. They have been priced at 40/1 in the sports betting odds for the World Cup, which is perhaps a nod to the match-winning potential they possess in the shape of the formidable Haaland.
The sports betting blog columns will more likely focus on the favourites to lift the trophy, such as Spain (9/2), France (6/1) and England (13/2), but tournament football can deliver underdog stories and upsets – with Norway well placed to deliver on that front.
It was Haaland’s goals – who else? – that broke the back of their final qualifying clash with Italy, but it was the manner of the team performance that impressed in a 4-1 thrashing of the Italians at the San Siro.
Finally! 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/bPsbyBC4fB
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) November 16, 2025
The Norwegians won all eight of their qualification games – putting seven goals past the Italians in 180 minutes of football, no less, to book their passage to the World Cup next year.
Their squad is made up heavily of players that ply their trade in club football at the highest level, with defensive solidity and a functional midfield headlined by attacking options that include Haaland, Alexander Sorloth and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Write off the Norwegians in their first World Cup appearance in nearly three decades at your peril…
On the Plane
The international fixtures in mid-November also saw three other nations book their berths at the World Cup.
France, one of the favourites to win the tournament, confirmed their presence with victories over Ukraine and Azerbaijan – Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final, was on the scoresheet in Les Bleus’ 4-0 hammering of the Ukrainians.
Kylian Mbappé is the youngest player ever to score 400 career goals 💫🇫🇷⚡️ pic.twitter.com/uw10oYNIGt
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 14, 2025
Croatia, who were runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and reached the semi-finals four years later, will get another crack at finally lifting the trophy. They defeated a much-improved Faroe Islands 3-1 in Rijeka to confirm their supremacy in Group L.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo getting himself sent off in the 0-2 defeat against the Republic of Ireland, Portugal bounced back with a sublime performance against Armenia – they racked up a 9-1 victory in Porto, with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes notching a hat-trick.
The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most diverse in history, with the likes of Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cape Verde qualifying for the tournament for the first time.
