Erling Haaland as soon as once more showcased his exceptional scoring potential, this time netting 5 objectives for Norway in an 11-1 rout of Moldova within the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers. His astonishing efficiency has reignited comparisons with the best goalscorers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Norway entered Matchday 5 of Group I needing a win to keep up their spot on the prime, going through a Moldova facet nonetheless trying to find its first level. The dominance was evident from the beginning, as Norway scored 5 objectives within the first half. Haaland registered a hat trick with strikes within the eleventh, thirty sixth, and forty third minutes.
The onslaught didn’t cease after the break. Norway added six extra objectives, with the Manchester Metropolis star scoring twice extra within the 52nd and 83rd minutes. It was Haaland’s first-ever five-goal haul at senior worldwide stage, lifting his tally to 48 objectives in simply 45 caps. He additionally sits atop the UEFA qualifiers scoring chart with 9 objectives.
How does Haaland examine to Messi and Ronaldo?
In Lionel Messi’s case, the previous Barcelona star has managed to attain 5 objectives in a single match for his nationwide group. This occurred in June 2022, when Argentina confronted Estonia in a pleasant, with Messi netting all 5 objectives within the 5-0 victory.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring his group’s third purpose through the worldwide pleasant match between Argentina and Estonia at Estadio El Sadar on June 05, 2022 in Pamplona, Spain.
That marked solely the second time in his profession that Messi recorded a five-goal haul. His first got here in 2012 whereas taking part in for Barcelona within the Champions League, scoring 5 in a 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Camp Nou.
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Video: Haaland runs riot with 5 objectives as Norway crush Moldova 11-1
Cristiano Ronaldo, in the meantime, has cemented his place as one of many biggest goalscorers in soccer historical past and is the all-time main scorer in World Cup qualifiers after his current purpose for Portugal. Nevertheless, at 25 years outdated, Haaland has achieved one thing Ronaldo has but to perform on the worldwide stage.
Since his debut for Portugal in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 141 objectives for the nationwide group and 943 throughout his profession. Regardless of this, he has by no means scored 5 objectives in a single match for Portugal. His file stands at 4 objectives in a recreation on two events: first in a 5-0 win over Lithuania in 2014 after which once more in a 5-1 win over Lithuania through the 2019 European Championship qualifiers.
