U.S. — Norway qualified for the 2026 World Cup by winning Group I of the European qualifiers, securing the nation's first appearance in the tournament since 1998. This qualification marks the first major international tournament participation for Erling Haaland with the Norway national team.

Haaland, who plays for Manchester City, was the top scorer in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, scoring 16 goals. The second-highest scorer in the European qualifiers registered half that number. Norway scored a total of 37 goals in eight qualifying matches, more than any other national team in the European qualifiers, while conceding five goals.

Haaland previously made his debut for the Norway national team in 2019 at 19 years old, participating in a Euro 2020 qualifier. Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024. Joining Haaland on the national team roster are players such as Martin Odegaard, Alexander Sørloth, and Kristian Thorstvedt.

Alf-Inge Haaland, Erling Haaland's father, was a professional footballer who played for the Norway national team. He was part of Norway's squad for the 1994 World Cup held in the U.S.

At the club level, Erling Haaland has won titles. He played for Salzburg in Austria during the 2019-2020 season, joining at age 19, and also participated in the UEFA Champions League with the club. After his time with Salzburg, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he spent two and a half seasons. In 2022, Haaland joined Manchester City. In his first season with Manchester City, he won the UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup.