Erling Haaland continued his exceptional performance at the 2026 World Cup, igniting the Golden Boot race after drawing level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé on 7 goals apiece, in one of the most thrilling top-scorer contests in the tournament's history.
Haaland led Norway to one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup, scoring twice in the 79th and 90th minutes to guide his country to elimination of Brazil from the competition.
Haaland steered Norway to the Scandinavian nation's first-ever World Cup quarter-final appearance, where they will face the winner of the England vs Mexico match.
The Norwegian striker raised his tally to 7 goals in 4 matches, drawing level with Messi and Mbappé at the top of the scoring charts — marking the first time in the tournament that 3 players have each reached 7 or more goals in the same edition.
The Golden Boot race is now more open than ever, with the trio of Messi, Mbappé and Haaland chasing England striker Harry Kane, who has 5 goals, in a contest that could go all the way to the final.
Haaland's numbers extend beyond goalscoring: his goal against Brazil continued a remarkable scoring run, having now netted in 14 consecutive international matches — a consistency that is exceptionally rare at international level.
Throughout that run, the Norway striker has scored against opponents of varying levels, with attacking displays that have boosted his international scoring rate to 62 goals in 54 appearances for his national team.
Haaland also showed clear physical dominance against Brazil, winning all 4 aerial duels he contested. His aerial success rate climbed to 78%, the best recorded by a striker who has contested more than 15 aerial duels at a World Cup since 1966.
With Norway still in the tournament, the opportunity is open for Haaland to take sole possession of the top of the scoring charts and write a new chapter in his international career — having transformed from a club goalscoring machine into a leader guiding his national team towards an unprecedented historic achievement.