​The 2026 World Cup in Norway will be remembered for years, regardless of the outcome against England on Saturday night. It had been 28 years since the Nordic country last appeared on football’s biggest stage, with their previous World Cup footprint dating back to France ’98, when Alfie Inge Haaland was part of the squad. It felt fitting that Erling would carry the family banner forward, stepping into the tournament to represent his nation just as his father once did.
Molde’s assistant coach Pål Arne Johansen, better known as Paco, can take particular pride in Haaland junior’s ascent. Paco coached the teenage Haaland in Norway’s youth teams and already understood his potential, having overseen a striker who tallied 13 goals in 32 appearances at the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, and Under-18 levels. The Leeds-born forward was continually evolving, pushing himself and leaving an imprint on the international scene with a single, clear ambition: to play for Norway at a World Cup.
“The big breakthrough, in my view, came when we went to a Euro qualifier in Germany,” Paco recalls. “Norway hadn’t appeared in a European Under-19 Championship for 13 years, and we were placed in a group with the Netherlands, Germany, and Scotland. Only the winner would advance, which was a huge challenge for a small football nation like ours. We lost our opening match against the Netherlands, even though we played well. Erling should have netted three that day, but he lacked a bit of match sharpness.”
Despite the setback, the team’s fortunes shifted in the next game, a 5-2 victory over a German side featuring Kai Havertz. It should have been 10-2, and in that match Erling scored twice—though he could and perhaps should have had five. Yet the broader takeaway wasn’t just the goals; it was his uncanny ability to create and convert big-chance opportunities. “He produced some unbelievable moments,” Paco notes, describing how Haaland powered through the German defense with speed and strength. “I sat there thinking, ‘wow, he could be a truly top player.’”
That memorable March 2018 outing was followed by another strong showing: in the next match, Norway defeated Scotland, with Haaland scoring three goals, including two penalties, securing qualification for the European Euros and, subsequently, the Under-20 World Cup—the nation’s first appearance in 26 years. It was a remarkable era for Norwegian youth football and a sign of the times to come.
Even at just 17, Erling Haaland carried the hopes and dreams of an entire country on his shoulders. “He was part of a team that was making history, and it was all starting to come together for him,” Paco says. “But the moment that convinced me he could play in one of the world’s top five leagues was that performance against Germany. They had some solid defenders at the time, yet they couldn’t stop him.”
Paco believes that particular tournament likely drew attention from clubs outside Norway as well. Haaland finished as the top scorer in that competition, a performance that helped the global football community take notice of a talent destined for extraordinary heights.