Erling Haaland makes stunning admission about playing France in World Cup
· Yahoo Sports
Erling Haaland continues to shine in his 2026 World Cup performances with Norway, racking up more goals as his team took on Senegal in a crucial Group I match.
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His teammate, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, came in as a substitute in the first half and scored first at the 43-minute mark with a stellar kick that bounced past the Senegal goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Haaland added a second Norway goal three minutes into the second half, and then a third at the 58-minute mark. That gave him two goals for his second-straight game.
Senegal threatened to force a draw late, as they were only down a goal. However, they couldn’t put together a play for the equalizer, and ultimately fell 3-2 to the Norwegians.
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 16: Erling Haaland of Norway smiles following victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between Iraq and Norway at Boston Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Foxborough, United States. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)With their second win, Norway officially qualified for the Knockout Phase. That had the team excited about their World Cup success so far. However, their next match is for the group win, and it’s against Kylian Mbappe and France.
“We managed to get through, which is incredible, so I couldn’t care too much about that game now … they’re probably going to win against us, they’re probably going to win the whole tournament,” Haaland told a Fox Sports reporter after the match.
It’s a surprising statement from Haaland since it seems to suggest he doesn’t believe his team has a legitimate shot to win the 2026 World Cup. That’s a strong endorsement of Mbappe and France, but he should at least show more confidence in the team’s ability to win it.
This is Haaland’s first World Cup appearance, and so far, his debut has been fantastic. In Norway’s opener, he scored twice against Iraq in a dominant 4-1 win. He’s been a star for the Premier League’s Manchester City since 2022 and is clearly one of the newest stars of this tournament, along with Spain’s Lamine Yamal.
One would think a game against France would be highly anticipated, but with these recent remarks from Haaland, will they be concerned with trying to win Group I, or are they planning to play it safe before the Round of 32?
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