New Delhi: As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gears to enter the quarter-final stage, Norway striker Erling Haaland is the only player to score with his left foot, right foot, a header, from inside the box and from outside the box. He achieved this feat by netting a left-footed strike and a towering header in the Round of 16 against Brazil.
He has been on the pitch in this edition for 360 minutes, scoring seven goals with a lethal 1.75 goals per 90 minutes.
His spectacular run of form, including a clutch brace against Selecao, has helped Norway reach their first-ever World Cup quarter-final.
Former football players and football experts are buzzing about his versatility and clinical finishing on the world stage.
“He’s taken all the stress out of everything,” former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told the BBC. “He is so relaxed, is taking care of business on the pitch and enjoying every minute at the World Cup.”
Former England captain said, “Haaland has given his whole country the belief they can go really far in the competition.”
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Norway’s tactics around Erling Haaland
Haaland’s game tactics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup combine raw physical dominance with highly sophisticated psychological and spatial movement. Unlike his role at Manchester City, where he operates as a fixed spearhead for a high-possession team, Norway manager Stale Solbakken has built a tailored 4-3-3 counter-attacking system around Haaland’s strengths.
“The other players know that Erling is our biggest match-winner and that we have to make sure that we put him in the right areas so he can score goals and be dangerous. Erling is easy to coach. He (is) very down-to-earth in terms that he wants to do his work defensively as well. He thinks about the team before he thinks about himself. You can see that when other players score, he’s as happy as he is when he scores himself. He’s aware he’s a leader and he’s taking care of his team-mates in a very good way,” Solbakken told FIFA in September last year.
While Haaland is famous for punishing teams inside the six-yard box, his tactical evolution under Norway has seen him drop deeper onto the edge of the penalty box.
He presents himself between the lines of midfield and defence, using quick, one-touch manipulations to open up long-range shooting windows. This was the exact tactic that yielded his stunning outside-the-box goal against Brazil in the Round of 16.
Norway will face England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final clash at the Miami Stadium early Sunday.