Erling Haaland, the forward who wants to be...king
Erling Haaland was the great star of Norway, who will return to a World Cup after 28 years, and at Manchester City he continues to be the same goalscorer ever.
Football is UNDOUBTEDLY the sport that dominates the world. From the smallest to the largest state, everyone knows the king of sports and accepts it. A world, a culture that magnetizes millions of fans and provokes passions, comparisons and endless discussions.
In football, the complexity of the game and the numerical balance do not allow a footballer to "carry" a team alone, even if he is George Best (Northern Ireland) or Diego Maradona (Argentina). But now many argue that the tall forward Erling Haaland came to overturn this certainty. The Norwegian center forward is the living example that even in football a single athlete can lift a team on his back. With his incredible numbers, his relentless hunger for goals and his influence on every game, he has turned theory into practice.
Haaland is not just a great footballer; he is the “card” that turns things upside down. He proves that
individual excellence can determine the course of a team on the pitch too.
Erling Haaland continues to redefine the boundaries of football. Every year he surpasses himself, but this year he has shattered all expectations: Every touch of the ball seems to turn into a goal.
In just 20 appearances for Manchester City and the Norwegian national team, he has scored an incredible 32 goals. If he continues at this rate, he will not just be in the conversation for the Golden Boot; he will be the absolute favorite.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Norwegian national team achieved an absolute 8/8, with an impressive +32 in goal difference, taking first place and scattering Italy, Israel, Estonia and Moldova along the way. Of the 37 goals scored by the Scandinavians in total, Erling Haaland scored 16, showing that he is the absolute leader.
He sits at the top of the scorers' table by a huge margin, as Memphis Depay, Marko Arnautovic and Harry Kane follow with just 8 goals, exactly half. The Norwegian "robot" leaves no room for doubt: He is the phenomenon that can single-handedly change the course of a team and lead it to successes that once seemed impossible.
After 28 years
It has been 28 years since Norway last appeared in a World Cup finals and now, after an incredible historical journey, they are returning to the top football celebration. The current squad is of course not just Erling Haaland and… ten “extras”. This is a team full of talent, with players who have already left their mark on European stadiums.
However, everyone knows that without the Manchester City superstar, the path would have been much more difficult. Haaland is the catalyst, the man who turns a good team into a contender, and his presence gives Norway the confidence that they can stand up to the world’s best.
Erling Haaland seems to carry the entire Manchester City team on his shoulders, just as he does with Norway. Of the 38 goals the “citizens” have scored in all competitions, the 25-year-old striker has scored 19 - exactly half! A number that most emphatically captures his influence on the game.
His year this year exceeds all limits of logic, footballing and otherwise. A superman who happens to have been born in Norway, but with his presence he leads both the country and his team by the hand, forcing millions of fans to bow to his name. Haaland is not just a great scorer; he is the phenomenon that changes the very concept of “leader” in modern football.
Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece)
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