Beware Defenders, Erling Haaland the Viking Is Coming

On June 22, thousands of Norwegian fans packed MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to watch their hero Erling Haaland play in his first-ever World Cup match. The 25-year-old striker did not disappoint, scoring two goals to help Norway beat Senegal 3-2. With four goals in just two games, Haaland has quickly become the all-time top scorer for Norway at the World Cup.

The crowd of 80,663 fans was one of the loudest of the tournament so far. Most of them were Norwegians who had traveled far and spent a lot of money to be there. Tickets, flights, and even the train ride from New York City — which cost US$98 — added up fast, but fans said every penny was worth it.

One fan, Herman Carl Frostad, 17, flew all the way from Oslo, Norway, just to watch the match. He wore a jersey with Haaland's name on the back, just like thousands of others in the stadium. 'He is significantly important for this team, and he's the best striker in the world,' Herman said. 'I believe we will be back here in the final because of Haaland.'

Another young fan, Soren Alan, just 10 years old, came with his father Jeremy, 52, to cheer Haaland on. The two live in the United States but are big Norway supporters. Soren has even grown out a ponytail to look like his favorite player. 'I love Haaland and I am so excited to watch him live finally,' Soren said.

Haaland stands 1.95 meters tall and weighs nearly 90 kilograms — he is a hard player to miss on the field. He plays for Manchester City in England, where he has scored 112 goals in just 132 games. For Norway, he now has 59 goals in 52 appearances, which is an incredible record.

In the match against Senegal, Norway wore their black away kit and scored first just before halftime. Midfielder Marcus Pedersen blasted a shot past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the 43rd minute after a mistake by the Senegal defense. Norway was in control, but the match was far from over.

Three minutes into the second half, Haaland struck. After a fast counter-attack, he slotted a left-footed shot into the upper right corner of the net to make it 2-0. Senegal then scored through Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr to cut the lead to 2-1, and the crowd grew tense. But Haaland answered back in the 58th minute, volleying a cross with his weaker right foot to restore the two-goal lead.

Sarr scored again late in the game to make it 3-2, giving Norway a nervous finish. While some Norwegian players fell to the ground with cramps, Haaland waved at his teammates to keep pushing and finish strong. Norway held on for the win and kept their perfect record in the tournament.

Norwegian fans celebrated by doing their famous 'Viking Row' in the stands, pretending to row a boat while chanting 'Ro! Ro! Ro!' — which means 'Row! Row! Row!' in Norwegian. After the final whistle, captain Martin Odegaard led the whole squad in the Viking Row on the pitch. The fun tradition has become a symbol of Norwegian team spirit and pride.

Norway had not played in a World Cup since 1998, so this tournament is extra special for the country. Their best results were reaching the round of 16 in both 1938 and 1998. With Haaland in top form, fans are hoping this squad can go all the way to the final on July 19.