Haaland Shines as Norway Advances in World Cup Qualifying

Erling Haaland continued his sensational form, netting a hat-trick in Norway's dominant 5-0 victory over Israel in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday. The Manchester City striker's performance propelled Norway closer to securing a place in the 2026 tournament.

Haaland's night at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo wasn't without its early challenges. He uncharacteristically missed a penalty in the sixth minute, with Israel's goalkeeper Daniel Peretz saving the initial attempt. The referee ordered a retake due to Peretz moving off his line, but Haaland's second attempt was also thwarted by the Israeli shot-stopper.

However, the 25-year-old striker quickly put the miss behind him, finding the net with an angled shot in the 27th minute to give Norway a 2-0 lead after an own goal. In the second half, Haaland added two more goals, a powerful downward header in the 63rd minute and a back-post header in the 72nd minute, completing his hat-trick. These goals marked his 50th and 51st for his country in just 46 appearances. He has six international hat-tricks.

Haaland's prolific scoring rate has drawn comparisons to other legendary players. He reached 50 international goals much faster than Kylian Mbappe (90 games), Robert Lewandowski (90 games), Lionel Messi (107 games), and Cristiano Ronaldo (114 games).

The match wasn't without controversy, as pro-Palestinian protests took place before the game. Loud boos were heard during the Israeli anthem, and Palestinian flags and banners were displayed in the stands.

Norway has won all six of their Group I matches thus far. Italy, in second place, secured a 3-1 victory over Estonia. Spain defeated Georgia 2-0.

Portugal Snatches Late Win Against Ireland

In Lisbon, Portugal faced a tough challenge from the Republic of Ireland in their Group F World Cup qualifier. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Portugal struggled to break down a resilient Irish defense.

Cristiano Ronaldo, had a penalty saved in the second half by Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. It appeared the Republic of Ireland would secure a valuable point, until Ruben Neves headed home a late goal in the first minute of stoppage time.

The late goal sparked joyous celebrations for Portugal, who maintained their perfect record in Group F. For Ireland, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, as their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup hang in the balance.