MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -When Erling Haaland walked off the pitch at the San Siro stadium after helping seal Norway's first World Cup berth since 1998, it was the culmination of a mission the 25-year-old has carried on his shoulders for years.

Haaland bagged a double in Sunday's 4-1 win over Italyon Sunday to bring his extraordinary scoring tally in 2026 World Cup qualifying to 16 goals, twice any other player in Europe. His total includes five goals in an 11-1 thrashing of Moldova and a goal in at least one in each of Norway's eight matches.