Erling Haaland excited about maiden FIFA World Cup appearance for Norway

At the age of 25, Haaland has lived out a career many would have retired from right away with a lot of pride, having won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Champions League with Manchester City, with the top prize of European football coming in the treble-winning season of 2022-23. The Norwegian striker has been a goal-scoring machine for City and has broken several records.

He has won trophies in Austria, Germany and England at club level, but he is yet to have an appearance in a major international tournament, which he will get to make this year.

Norway's last appearance at a major football event was back in 2000 during the UEFA Euro, which finished 19 days before he was born, and the round of 16 finish in the 1998 FIFA World Cup is their last WC appearance.

Speaking to FIFA, he said, "It gets a bit... not awkward to speak about, but it has been so long, and you have been trying for so long, and then it does not happen, you get used to it not happening. I have never experienced Norway being at the World Cup in my life, so I think it was about time."

Haaland was sensational in the World Cup qualifiers, scoring at least once in eight qualifier matches, including five goals against Moldova and a brace against Italy away from home, taking his goal tally to 16 in the qualification tournament. For Haaland, it is a huge thing to have made it to the World Cup.

"For me personally, it is a huge thing," he stated. "I have said it for a long time, my big goal is to get Norway to the World Cup. That is what I am going to try to work towards. Now it has finally happened, and I am super-happy for that, and super-excited for what is next. You kind of got the relief and the joy everyone in the country had. It was amazing to experience," he continued.

Haaland said that he is happy for kids in his country that they are getting to experience it this time around as every time he would watch a World Cup as a kid, he found himself rooting for other teams.

Norway's all group stage matches will be in USA, which has a lot of personal significance for Haaland as his father, Alf-Inge, played for the national side at the USA 1994 edition. Alf-Inge's appearance included a 1-0 loss to Italy at the Giants Stadium, which has been demolished with the New York New Jersey Stadium built in its place. It is the venue where Haaland and Co will be playing against Senegal.

"We have been speaking about it [USA 1994]," Haaland spoke on his father's WC appearance, who also played for Manchester City. "He said it is like three finals, where you play for your life. And that is why every time at the World Cup you see an outsider beat one of the best teams, because people play for their country like never before. You have three games, and if you do not perform, you are out. It is quite simple but also difficult," he continued.

He also revealed that his mother was watching the World Cup back in 1994, "nervous before the games".

"It is a huge thing. Big stadiums, positive crowds. It is a gathering, and it is a different (kind of) gathering, which I really like in football. It brings people together, not only at the stadium in the country, but around the whole world, in front of the TV and all of that," he added.

Aside from Haaland, the Norway team features Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, Fulham pair Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb and RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa, to name a few among its biggest stars.

Haaland said that the team is a "tall, strong" one which works well with each other and feels that their team is exciting because of how creative they could be with the ball.

"After that, we have the quality that you need in football to create things and to score goals. That is what we need to do. And I think Norway are exciting because of the players and the creativity we have, and I think that's also important to be a nice team to watch," he said.

He said that fine performances were a "huge confidence boost" and a "reality check" in positive ways about where the team was.

"We got Italy at home, we beat them. We went to San Siro, where not many teams have beaten them in World Cup qualifying, and we have gone and beat them, which shows people we can perform no matter where and no matter what. So, the confidence is there, and we are still a young team," he said.

Haaland feels that walking out of the tunnel of the Boston Stadium for the opener against Iraq would be a "dream come true".

"You know it is more special, I think, because I have never experienced it. So, it will be an interesting feeling and experience because, again, I do not know what I am going into, because I have never been there. I am just looking forward to it - it is going to be amazing," he signed off. (ANI)