How Norway ‘killed’ Erling Haaland – and how he bounced back

Feature

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Alongside Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland has been the star of the 2026 World Cup. Yet just two years ago he was being 'killed' in his homeland after Norway's 5-1 humiliation against Austria, a night that became the springboard for the most remarkable run of his international career.

Norway are in the quarter-finals for the first time, largely under the compulsion of the Manchester City striker, who has scored seven goals for Stale Solbakken’s side in four matches.

Haaland, 25, has underlined his status as the game’s best goal scorer, with his brilliant double against Brazil sending his country to these previously unattained heights.

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His first in the last-16 game underlined his power and aerial ability as he exploded away from Gabriel – one of the finest centre-backs in the world – to head the opener, while his second was a precise drive from the edge of the box that showcased his ball striking and accuracy. No other player in the world is capable of scoring such goals in the same match against such quality opponents.

But the England-born striker has not always been a popular figure in his homeland. Haaland was ‘killed’ by the Norwegian media one night two years ago, in the words of journalist Thore Haugstad, yet he used the experience as a formative one in his career. He has since gone on to score in 14 consecutive competitive appearances for his country, each one resulting in victory.

The Haaland controversy

Norway may be among the best eight teams at the World Cup, but it is a nation that had wrestled with frustration on the international scene for years before this moment. They had not qualified for a major tournament since Euro 2000, when they exited at the group stage, while they had only won two World Cup finals matches before this year’s Haaland-inspired bonanza.

In recent years, particularly, there has been a sense of underachievement, with talents like Martin Odegaard, Alexander Sorloth and Haaland previously unable to negotiate qualifying.

The low point arrived on 13 October 2024 as they slumped to a 5-1 loss against Austria in the Nations League. Norway collapsed in the second half in Linz, conceding three goals in 17 minutes after the break to slump to one of their worst defeats in recent memory.

It was the manner of the loss that stung: they were obliterated. Austria posted 10 shots on target and 62% of the ball, with Sorloth’s first-half equaliser the visitors’ sole effort on goal.

But it was the reaction of the players in the aftermath of the defeat that truly provoked a storm.

Many key figures refused to front up to the media after the game – including Haaland, who had been captain for the night in the absence of the injured Martin Odegaard. This refusal to explain the performance left both the media furious.

“It’s a disgrace,” NRK pundit Kristoffer Lokberg said. “If there’s anyone we want to hear from after a big defeat, it’s the captain.

“When you’re the captain, you’ve been given a role that requires a little extra. You have to step up.”

He was far from the sole dissenting voice in the Norwegian media.

Newspaper VG led with the headline: “Captain Haaland refused to speak with the press”, while Reidar Sollie of the Norwegian Sports Journalists’ Association said: “You have nothing to lose by explaining a sporting setback. It’s natural and right to be disappointed. But when the opposite happens, the word arrogance quickly pops up.”

Haaland’s apology

The tidal wave of criticism towards Haaland prompted a rapid apology. The striker issued a statement via Instagram, implicitly acknowledging both the performance on the field but especially his actions after the game:

“Sorry everyone, this was far too bad on my part. In November, we go for six points.”

Before those subsequent internationals, the Man City striker confessed: “I should have spoken to someone straight after the match.”

Accountability accepted, Haaland and Norway have not looked back.

The six points that the striker wanted in those subsequent internationals were achieved – and in spectacular fashion. Slovenia were hammered 4-1 in Ljubljana and Kazakhstan were blown away 5-0 in Oslo, with Haaland grabbing a hat-trick to underline his determination to blow away his previous error.

Indeed, Norway have not stopped winning, picking up 14 successive competitive wins, often thanks to a flurry of goals.

Throughout his international career, Haaland has been a potent force, yet since that night in Linz, he has become superhuman, scoring at least once in 15 of Norway’s last 17 internationals and finding the net a total of 28 times across those matches.

While his goal scoring talents are rightly lauded the world over, his contrition and ability to transform the most negative evening of his career into a launchpad to hit even higher levels of excellence deserve more widespread appreciation.

Written by

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Robin Bairner is an eminent digital football journalist who has been writing about the sport for major global publishers since 2006, specialising in Ligue 1 and Scottish football. He has been chief editor of the FootballTransfers global edition since its launch in 2020. Previously Bairner had been a key member of the editorial team which helped Goal.com become the world’s biggest football website. He covered multiple major competitions as a correspondent for Goal including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he had the opportunity to work in Fortaleza. Among his highlights of the competition was Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Colombia.

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