Erling Haaland

Analysis: Haaland didn't see his effort rewarded this time, as his two headers were not enough to beat Jordan Pickford during the defeat. After an extraordinary debut World Cup, the Manchester City striker went scoreless only in the final game, notching seven goals across his previous four appearances. He also led his side with an average of 4.0 shots (2.6 on target) per game, numbers that strengthened his status as one of the world's most effective finishers.

Jul 5, 2026

Scores brace in round of 16 win

Haaland scored two goals to go with four shots (three on goal) and two chances created in Sunday's 2-1 win against Brazil.

Analysis: Haaland led his team to a historic victory over Brazil with a solid header and a low left-footed shot in the 79th and 90th minutes, respectively. The striker has now achieved a brace in three of his four World Cup appearances, tying Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi with seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot award. Additionally, Haaland has taken at least four shots in every game so far, standing out as Norway's primary finisher. Up next is a potentially tougher test in the quarter-finals stage.