EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) 鈥� After to set the World Cup record and in the career chase, Erling Haaland delivered another dazzling performance on a showcase day for the tournament’s top stars.
Haaland scored twice for Norway in the first 15 minutes of the second half of on Monday night, making up for clanking a shot off the post and getting denied on a header just before halftime. His performance came hours after Messi scored two for Argentina and 惭产补辫辫茅 did the same for France.
Teammate Kristian Thorstvedt called Haaland a big-game player who lives for these moments. Roughly a month away from his 26th birthday, Haaland is showing he can keep up with some of soccer’s more experienced stars while playing on a team without the same pedigree or championship history.
鈥淗e is the best striker,鈥� coach St氓le Solbakken said through an interpreter. 鈥淗e is not playing for France or Argentina. He scores for Norway.鈥�
The three have combined to score 13 goals in the World Cup: five for Messi and four each for and Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot, which Iraq coach Graham Arnold predicted will be a very good competition between them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina,鈥� Solbakken said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檒l try to give Erling more games and more help in the next games.鈥�
the World Cup鈥檚 career scoring leader with 18 goals when he and Argentina beat Austria in Arlington, Texas. 惭产补辫辫茅 is now at 16, tied with former record holder Miroslav Klose, after he and France in Philadelphia.
Playing in his first World Cup, Haaland is at four. Norway last qualified in 1998 鈥� two years before he was born.
鈥淟et鈥檚 be happy, every single Norwegian on the planet,鈥� Haaland said. 鈥淚鈥檓 part of something special. Norway鈥檚 part of something special. We鈥檙e making history.鈥�
The 6-foot-5 Manchester City striker has now scored in 12 consecutive competitive matches for Norway. He has 24 goals over that stretch, and the last time Haaland did not score for Norway in a game that mattered was Oct. 13, 2024.
鈥淗e鈥檚 on fire,鈥� Solbakken said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage.鈥�
Haaland had the fewest touches of anyone on either team in the first half, getting guarded tightly by an opponent that knew just how important it was to contain him. Still, Solbakken pointed out that Haaland missed an open net and 鈥渃ould have scored even four.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the best strikers in the world,鈥� Senegal’s Ismail Jakobs said. 鈥淲e used part of the game making some things very difficult to start with (for him), as you could see.鈥�
Then Haaland found his footing on a wet surface at the Meadowlands that .
He scored his first goal on a 4-on-2 rush, putting behind him the frustration from earlier. After getting his second by banking a right-footed shot off the crossbar and in, Haaland held his left hand up to his left ear to encourage cheers of a large contingent of red-clad fans who chanted, 鈥淣or-ge! Nor-ge!鈥� and performed their signature Viking rowing celebration in the stands.
Asked how he was doing it, Haaland struggled to come up with an explanation.
鈥淚 don’t know,鈥� Haaland said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my specialty to score goals. It鈥檚 like many other things: I鈥檓 just really good at scoring goals, and I鈥檓 quite lucky. I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 doing, but yeah. That鈥檚 just how it is.鈥�
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AP Soccer Writer James Robson in Atlanta and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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