Erling Haaland of Norway has been one of the most important players for his team, as he has helped them defeat Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026. He believes that he is blessed by God to have such goal-scoring capabilities. Two goals from Haaland were enough to take his team to the quarter-finals, and he considers himself to be "a gift of God."

In the game against Brazil, Haaland managed to score his sixth and seventh goal of the World Cup tournament. He is the only player after Gerd Müller of the 1970 World Cup who has scored seven goals in his first four World Cup appearances.

After the match, Haaland spoke about his goalscoring skills, saying, "It's usually like this. If I get one or two chances, they often turn into goals. I don't know how I do it, but it happens. The most important thing is to maintain your full focus. I tell myself that the opportunity will definitely come. Now I feel like a gift from God when the ball lands exactly in the right place and turns into a goal. It's truly incredible."

With two goals against Brazil, Haaland now has seven goals in four matches at the 2026 World Cup. He is now joint-leader in the Golden Boot race with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. His overall record for Norway continues to improve. He now has 62 goals in 54 international appearances. He has also scored in 14 consecutive competitive international matches, netting a total of 27 goals.

Haaland described this historic victory as a victory for the entire nation. He said, "We continue to move forward. I want all the young people watching this interview to feel that playing for Norway should be the greatest pride of their lives. This feeling cannot be described in words." He added, "I wish I were among the people in the streets right now. All of Norway should be celebrating today. This is one of the most memorable days in our country's history. We should enjoy this moment to the fullest."

Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland also played a major role in Norway's victory. He made several brilliant saves, including a penalty from Bruno Guimaraes. After the match, he said, "These feelings are very difficult to describe. This is the best feeling of my life. We knew we were underdogs and the match would be very tough, but we believed we could beat Brazil."

He further said, "We defeated Brazil again in the World Cup. We have never lost to them in the World Cup. This is an incredible achievement. Defeating a team like Brazil is like a dream come true. I am very happy for all Norwegians. Now our journey continues, and there could be no bigger stage than this." Norway will now face England in the quarter-finals. Given Erling Haaland's excellent form, the team is hoping for another major upset, with Haaland now eyeing the World Cup trophy as well as the Golden Boot.