ErBoluwatife Kehinde
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‎Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has voiced his delight after Norway secured qualification for the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades.
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‎Norway booked their spot in next summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with an emphatic 4–1 victory over Italy at the San Siro Stadium on Sunday—their first World Cup qualification since 1998.
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‎The 25-year-old took to social media to share his excitement and relief, saying: ‎“I’m thrilled, but more than anything, I’m relieved. The pressure was huge, but the reward is incredible.”
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‎He went on to praise the team’s progress and chemistry: ‎“Finally! I’m proud of this squad and what we’re building together.”
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‎Italy opened the scoring within the first 16 minutes, but A. Nusa quickly equalized for Norway. Haaland continued his scoring streak, striking twice within seconds to take his qualifying tally to 16 goals, before J. S. Larsen added a fourth in stoppage time.
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‎Norway would have needed to lose by nine goals or more for Italy to overtake them in the group and claim the only automatic qualification spot.
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‎Meanwhile, Italy now face the pressure of avoiding a third consecutive World Cup absence. Having missed the last two tournaments after shocking playoff defeats to Sweden and North Macedonia, they will now prepare for another tense playoff round in March, finishing the group six points behind Norway.