Erling Haaland transformed from frustrated striker to national hero within 45 minutes, scoring two crucial goals that secured Norway's first World Cup qualification in 28 years with a dominant 4-1 victory over Italy at the San Siro.
Heated Exchange Fuels Norwegian Comeback
The match witnessed dramatic tension just before halftime when Haaland became involved in a heated argument with Italian defender Gianluca Mancini. The confrontation became so intense that Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Haaland's Manchester City teammate, had to physically intervene and separate the players.
This moment of controversy appeared to ignite the Norwegian striker, who had been kept quiet during a fiercely competitive first half where Donnarumma and Italy's defence had successfully contained Norway's attacking threat.
Second-Half Blitz Secures Historic Qualification
Norway entered the match knowing they needed to avoid a nine-goal defeat to virtually guarantee their place in next summer's World Cup tournament in North America. However, Haaland and his teammates chose to secure their qualification in spectacular style after falling behind to an early Italian goal.
The breakthrough came when Haaland connected with a perfect pass from Oscar Bobb and fired an unstoppable shot into the net. Incredibly, less than sixty seconds later, the City striker silenced the San Siro with a close-range finish that left his club teammate Donnarumma stunned.
Antonio Nusa extended Norway's lead before Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen completed the scoring in the 93rd minute, compounding Italy's misery and infuriating their home supporters with the nature of their second-half collapse.
Record-Breaking Achievement and Family Legacy
Haaland's double strike elevated his incredible World Cup qualifying campaign tally to 16 goals in just eight matches, making him the highest scorer across all continental qualifying competitions for this World Cup edition.
The victory marks a historic moment for Norwegian football, with the team topping their qualifying group and ending a 28-year wait for World Cup participation. Haaland will now follow in the footsteps of his father, Alf Inge Haaland, who represented Norway in World Cup tournaments during his own playing career.
Meanwhile, Italy face the disappointment of missing automatic qualification and must now navigate the playoff system if they hope to reach their first World Cup since 2014.
