​Will Erling Haaland become the greatest goalscorer in history? The Norway World Cup sensation is chasing that crown, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi wind down their illustrious careers. This story originally appeared in The Sporting News, which you can set as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Two years after Charli XCX captured the zeitgeist, North America is in the middle of a Braut summer. Haalandmania is sweeping the 2026 World Cup, with Norway dispatching Brazil and advancing to a blockbuster quarterfinal against England. At the center of it all is Erling Haaland, who is thriving.
The 25-year-old Manchester City striker already has seven goals at this World Cup, including a third brace in four appearances to down five-time champions Brazil in the previous round and secure Norway’s first-ever quarterfinal berth. Following the match, Haaland led his teammates in on-field celebrations, beating a drum to direct both the squad and the nation’s supporters at Meadowlands in their Viking Row. In the prior round, after calmly netting a late winner against the Ivory Coast in Dallas, Haaland left the pitch wearing a novelty Viking helmet gifted by a fan. Those image-worthy moments, along with his pre-match banter with young mascots, contribute to the impression of a larger-than-life figure enjoying every moment.
He’s an irreverent presence on social media—Haaland’s Instagram followers have surged from 40.7 million to 57.7 million and counting during the tournament. His World Cup Vlog, released in three installments on his official YouTube channel over the past couple of weeks, has accumulated more than 16 million views in total. Off the field and in front of cameras, Haaland seems to have connected with the broader American sporting public more quickly than any previous soccer superstar. Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi—two of the greatest players of all time, who are winding down their World Cup careers this month—found their pace in the U.S. a bit more gradual.
Haaland speaks fluent English and comes across as one of the guys, at a time when soccer’s popularity is surging in a nation that will host all eight of the World Cup’s knockout matches. None of this would be possible without Haaland’s core currency—goals. He scores relentlessly, often looking like the biggest and best kid on the playground while doing so.
If Haaland can sustain this remarkable scoring rate and achieve a level of longevity comparable to Messi and Ronaldo, he could surpass them and every other great scorer in the sport’s history. Across his senior club and international career, Haaland has an impressive 349 goals in 403 appearances. The moment when he scored nine goals in a single match as Norway defeated Honduras 12-0 at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup does not count toward his senior record, but it remains a standout in his early years. The path is clear: continued prolific scoring could redefine the record books and etch Haaland’s name among the all-time greats.