Erling Haaland is facing a big challenge at the upcoming football World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada. The challenge of making Norway a respectable nation in the world of football!
He is a world-class footballer and has done wonders for Manchester City for many seasons in the English Premier League, but there are other high-class players to assist him. Sadly at Norway, there are not many with that kind of reputation, which means he has to take the lead and prove to the world that not only is he a fantastic player, but is also someone who can lead the team with aplomb – even though he is not an appointed captain.
Norway have never been a force in international football. This is only their fourth World Cup appearance. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1998 in France. They had also participated in the edition before, and before that, it was the year 1938 when they made their first World Cup appearance.
Norway’s best finish at the World Cups is the Round of 16, twice in 1938 and 1998. The team secured direct qualification from the UEFA qualifying Group I. Haaland played a huge role in their success there. He was on the rampage to all intents and purposes, scoring 16 goals in 8 matches. Needless to say, Norway won all those matches. They scored 37 goals in all and conceded just 5.
Norway had Italy, Israel, Estonia and Moldova in their group, and spearheaded by Haaland, they were simply unstoppable. The two-time Premier League and one-time Champions League winner has scored 55 goals for his national team, and he is the highest goal-scorer in the European team’s history.
Last month, the 25-year-old admitted he was under pressure in terms of expectations from fans. “Ever since, I made my international debut in 2019. My big goal has been to get Norway to the World Cup and Euros. There is a lot of pressure on me, but I like the pressure. I would put a lot of pressure on Erling Haaland if I weren’t Erling. Haaland myself. We now have an amazing generation, and I want to build on this. I want to devlep the whole federation and everything around it to become a big football nation. That is my goal,” Haaland, who has scored 162 goals for City, said.
It’s clear the forward is determined, which should give Norway’s fans a lot of hope. While no one is expecting them to go all the way, if they can do better than what they did in 1938 and 1998, their fans should be happy. Norway have Iraq, Senegal and two-time champions and one of the pre-tournament favourites France in their group.
At present, Haaland, who was born in England, should not look too far ahead. Going beyond the group stages should be his priority. His reputation is at stake. Readers would remember that when Lionel Messi failed to deliver for Argentina in his first few World Cups, many questioned his greatness and his success at Barcelona. Doing great at the international level, especially at the World Cups, is very important. Haaland knows full well what the expectations are and what will happen if he fails.
