Norway took a decisive step towards the World Cup, overwhelming Moldova with an 11-1 victory in a home match on Tuesday. The undisputed star of the encounter was Erling Haaland, who netted five goals, while Thelonious Aasgaard contributed four. By halftime, the Norwegians had established a commanding 5-0 lead, with three goals scored just before the whistle. From the sixth minute of the game until the final whistle, Norway maintained complete dominance on the field. Moldova`s sole goal turned out to be an own goal by Leo Ostigard, meaning all scoring in the match originated from the Norwegians.
Norway, displaying impeccable form in the current World Cup qualifying cycle, has not participated in the tournament since 1998. However, their long absence could potentially end as early as the next matchday. In Group I, Norway holds a six-point lead over Italy. Although Italy has a game in hand, the Norwegians boast an impressive goal difference of +21, putting their qualification destiny firmly in their own hands. Italy`s previous match was a thrilling 5-4 win against Israel, keeping their qualification hopes alive, but the fate of this group now rests with Norway.
It seems unimaginable for the World Cup to proceed without the planet`s best players. If Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland make it to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, no team will relish the prospect of facing them. Haaland also has an excellent chance to become the top scorer in UEFA qualifying; his ninth goal in the qualifiers puts him three ahead of Croatia`s Andrej Kramaric, who has six goals so far. The Manchester City forward has now scored 45 goals in just 43 appearances for his country, doing everything he can to propel Norway onto the world`s biggest football stage.
Norway`s next qualifier is against Israel on October 11th, but even a victory in this game will not immediately secure their World Cup berth. A win would bring Norway to 18 points, but as Italy has a game in hand, they could still reach a maximum of 21 points if they win all their remaining matches. The qualification party for Norway could begin if Italy drops any points during the October window, provided Norway wins their home match.
