Erling Haaland Comes Up Short but Bares His Humanity in World Cup Qualifier

Erling Haaland’s impressive start to the season hit a rare stumbling block during a crucial World Cup qualifying match against Israel, where he missed two penalties before ultimately making a significant impact. Despite his initial misses, Haaland scored his 10th consecutive goal across club and international play to help Norway secure a commanding victory.

In the third minute, Norway was awarded a penalty when Patrick Berg was fouled in the box. Haaland confidently stepped up but saw his first shot saved by Israel’s goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz. The keeper had guessed correctly, and Haaland’s attempt was Palmed away. He was given a second chance when Peretz was penalized for crossing the line early, but again, Haaland’s shot was pushed aside.

Haaland’s misfortune was quickly overshadowed by his response. Just 26 minutes in, he latched onto a through ball from Alexander Sorloth, cleverly shifted the ball from his left to right foot, and scored with a precise finish—his 10th goal in as many matches. Norway then doubled their lead when Idan Nachmias scored an own goal, further extending the lead to 3-0.

Haaland didn’t let the missed penalties dampen his performance. Nearly immediately after his misses, he made amends by scoring Norway’s second goal in the 27th minute, exiting the goalkeeper’s reach after a quick exchange of passes. His tally now stands at 48 goals for Norway in 45 matches, making him the top scorer in European qualifiers, with ten goals in six matches—four more than any other player.

Norway maintained control of the match, and their perfect record in the group kept them nine points ahead of Italy, who have two matches in hand. The Norwegian team is in strong position to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998, with their next fixtures critical for maintaining their lead.