Seven goals, one raccoon, no trophy

The run that changed what Norway means at a World Cup

For a country that has spent most of its football history watching tournaments from the sofa, this was something different. Norway arrived at the 2026 World Cup as a side built almost entirely around one force of nature, and Haaland delivered on every expectation — seven goals across the tournament, a tally that put him among the top scorers in the competition and turned a nation of five million into genuine believers.

The quarter-final against England, though, was a step too far. A 2-1 defeat after extra time ended the run — and with it, any realistic chance of Haaland lifting a trophy that has so far eluded him at international level. Norway gave England a proper game. It just wasn't enough.

What Haaland's seven goals actually means

Seven goals at a World Cup is not a footnote. It is a statement. Haaland carried Norway through the group stage and into the knockouts on sheer volume of output — the kind of tournament-within-a-tournament performance that forces even the most sceptical observers to reassess what he is capable of when the stage is biggest.

The defeat to England will sting. But the campaign itself — Norway at a World Cup quarter-final, Haaland as one of the tournament's standout players — is the sort of thing that gets remembered long after the result fades.

About the raccoon

According to Foot Mercato, Haaland returned home from the tournament with a raccoon in tow. The outlet reported it as fact; the detail is unverified beyond that single source, and it is entirely possible something was lost — or gained — in translation. What is certain is that it is the most Haaland thing imaginable: score seven goals, lose on the night, adopt a woodland creature, fly home.

He didn't celebrate the raccoon. He just brought it.