Erling Haaland Ignores 'Best Goalscorer' Claims After World Cup Doubles for Norway


Erling Haaland has dismissed suggestions he is the world's best goalscorer despite scoring twice in Norway's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Iraq. The 25-year-old forward made his World Cup debut with a brilliant performance as Norway recorded an impressive 4-1 win. However, Haaland emphasized that other attackers are more in the race for the title of most prolific goalscorer. Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken described Haaland as the "best goalscorer in the world" after the match, but the Manchester City star was quick to play down the praise. "[Best] goalscorer? I'd say I'm up there. Statistically, I haven't scored the most goals this season, so that's just not true," Haaland said. This season he has scored 37 goals in all competitions, including 27 in the Premier League, eight in the UEFA Champions League and his two goals against Iraq. However, he pointed to both Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe as players who have put up better numbers this season. “Harry Kane and Mbappe have scored more goals than me and that is the reality,” he added. Mbappe has registered 42 goals this season, including 25 in LaLiga and 15 in the Champions League for Real Madrid, in addition to two goals in the World Cup. The French captain also finished as top scorer in both LaLiga and the Champions League. Kane's numbers are even more impressive. The England captain has scored 64 goals in all competitions, with 36 in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich. Kane finished as the Bundesliga's top scorer for the third consecutive time and enjoyed the most productive season of his career. Ahead of England's World Cup opener against Croatia, Kane reflected on his season. “Yes, I would say from a personal point of view it was the best season I've ever had, considering I scored a lot more goals than in previous seasons, which is of course nice,” Kane said. "I also think the way the season ended, both physically and mentally, was great. I took that into the pre-season camp with the boys and I know you have to make a lot of things happen at the right time, and I feel that's what happened." Despite Haaland's modesty, his Norwegian teammates were confident about his status as one of the best strikers in the world. Midfielder Patrick Berg praised Haaland's overall contribution against Iraq. "Of course he is the best striker in world football and you can see today how he worked for us, not only with the ball but also without the ball was great," Berg said. Teammate Sander Berge was equally impressed, describing Haaland's performance as that of "an animal." As the debate over the world's best goalscorer continues, Haaland remains focused on helping Norway take full advantage of their long-awaited return to the world stage. The tournament marks Haaland's first appearance in a major international tournament and Norway's first World Cup appearance since 1998. Norway will continue their group campaign against Senegal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, with Haaland hoping to make his dream starthet WK verder uit te bouwen.

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