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Ahead of the World Cup, Zlatan Ibrahimović said Erling Haaland still had work to do to “reach the whim of nature”. But after the Norwegian star scored twice in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq, Ibrahimović is singing a different tune about Haaland.
Ibrahimović said Haaland is “getting closer to Zlatan” after Tuesday’s performance.
“It’s a good start. It was what we wanted and we got it. It all depended on Haaland,” Ibrahimović said on FOX’s “World Cup Live.”
“He may not have got the assist for the last goal, but he was there and created a chance. The stars came and made him a lion today. That’s what he gave me back. So I might move him up in my ‘King of the Jungle’ list. He’s getting close to Zlatan. So we’re happy with his performance today.”
Haaland, 25, has become arguably the world’s top scorer in recent years, scoring at elite level with Norway and Manchester City. But he had never played in a World Cup match before Tuesday. And before the match, Ibrahimović only Haaland ranked fifth in his “King of the Jungle” list. Haaland therefore still had something to prove.
Well, Haaland has certainly shown that he is now ready for the World Cup. He is one of six players to have scored two goals in the World Cup, joining Frenchman Kylian Mbappé.
As Haaland put on another masterclass on Tuesday, here are some numbers to know about the Norwegian star.
33: Haaland has now scored in 33 of his 51 matches for Norway.
14: Norway have now won 14 consecutive matches when Haaland scores (all competitions).
16: Norway is also undefeated all-time when playing a multi-goal game at 16-0-0 (WDL).
11: Tuesday was the 11th consecutive competitive international match (non-friendly) with a goal for Haaland. He has 22 goals during this period (including two on Tuesday).
17: Haaland has scored at least one goal in 17 of his 20 official matches for Norway since the start of 2023 (30 goals).
16: Haaland’s 16 goals in World Cup qualifying topped all players.
18: Haaland scored 18 goals between the World Cup qualifiers and Tuesday’s match, an average of two goals per game across nine matches.
9.17: Haaland recorded a player rating of 9.17 during Tuesday’s game, according to FotMob. This is the highest rating a player has achieved in a match so far at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Frenchman Kylian Mbappé had the previous record, recording a player rating of 9.02 (per FotMob) as he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Senegal.
162: When it comes to club play, Haaland has scored in 162 of his 198 appearances for Manchester City.
3: Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer in three of his first four seasons with Manchester City.
36: Haaland’s 36 goals scored for Manchester City in the 2022-23 season is the most ever scored by a player in a single Premier League season.
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX and FS1, with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps.
