The Driving Force Behind Golden Boot Haaland

Written by Han Bing On June 18th in New York's Times Square, hardly anyone paid attention to a tall couple on a short holiday. Their light-colored caps and dark shades made them nearly impossible to identify. Not until Haaland shared a picture with his girlfriend Isabella Johansen on his social media did many Americans realize they had missed an opportunity to pose with the 200-million-euro star. On June 22nd, ahead of the match against Senegal in New Jersey, Norway's head coach Solbakken gave the entire team time off, hoping to help them temporarily forget the tension of the World Cup.

This was Haaland's World Cup debut, the highest stage he had dreamed of since childhood. So he needed a balance between work and rest, knowing that mental and physical relaxation before a big tournament could help him perform at his best. Before the game, Haaland said he wanted to prove himself with the Golden Boot, just as he did in his first Premier League season. He had scored on his debut in the Austrian, German, English, and Champions League. In their opening World Cup match, Norway faced Iraq, and the media agreed that scoring would not be a challenge for Haaland. Nevertheless, he humbly stated that he was not the world's best striker, ranking Kane and Mbappé ahead of himself, but he didn't hide his desire for the Golden Boot.

Before the World Cup, Swedish football legend Ibrahimovic made a ranking of the best strikers in the tournament, calling it the "King of the Jungle" list. Haaland, valued at 200 million euros, ranked only fifth. In Ibrahimovic's view, Haaland still had "a lot to do" to reach the level of a superstar striker. However, after Haaland scored twice in his World Cup debut, the usually arrogant Ibrahimovic changed his mind: "It's a great start. That's what we wanted to see, and Haaland delivered." Ibrahimovic, who had long claimed to be the world's top center-forward, even voluntarily said Haaland was "approaching his level." For Haaland, this was the highest praise possible from Ibrahimovic.

Although the just-concluded season wasn't Haaland's best since joining the Premier League—52 games yielding 38 goals and 8 assists, a noticeable drop from his debut season's 53 matches, 52 goals, and 9 assists—no one can deny he is one of the most formidable strikers active today. After scoring twice in his World Cup debut, Haaland continued to show absolute dominance for Norway. With 57 goals in 51 appearances, including 48 in official matches, he is Norway's all-time top scorer in both all competitions and official games. The match against Iraq marked Haaland's 11th consecutive official match with a goal for Norway, during which he scored 22 goals, an astonishing average of 2 per game.

Since June 2023, Haaland has scored in 18 of Norway's 20 official matches, totaling 30 goals. In the 16 official matches where he has scored most recently, Norway has won every time, highlighting his importance to the team. The last official match in which Haaland failed to score for Norway was in October 2024. Since then, he has scored in 11 consecutive official matches, with Norway winning all 11. The last time Haaland scored but Norway failed to win was in June 2023 against Scotland.

Although Haaland's goals in the World Cup opener were expected by fans, they still sparked celebrations so intense that they triggered seismic detectors. Records from the Norwegian Seismic Research Association (NORSAR) show that on the evening of June 17th, while celebrating Haaland's brace, a seismic station in Bergen, Norway, recorded clear seismic signals nearby. The largest signal fluctuations occurred around the times of Haaland's goals. This was caused by the collective movement of local fans celebrating wildly, generating ground vibrations. Seemingly unbelievable, it proves what Haaland means to Norwegians.

Haaland and his girlfriend visited the famous Katz's Deli and strolled through New York's Times Square during the World Cup—just part of his self-adjustment. During Norway's preparation, he played golf with childhood friends in Marbella, Spain, and watched Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals live while the team trained in North Carolina.

Although he has achieved a career grand slam at the club level with Manchester City, Haaland's ultimate dream is to lead Norway to success in major tournaments. "Since my first match for Norway in 2019, the World Cup has been the biggest goal of my football career. It has put immense pressure on me because I've failed three times. But I love that pressure. Even if I weren't Haaland, I would put that kind of pressure on myself."

Former Norwegian international Fjørtoft believes that Haaland is the core of this "golden generation" of Norway. He describes Haaland as a goal machine who keeps scoring, making the competition for the Golden Boot in this World Cup incredibly fierce. "Many people say he's stable and calm, like a machine that constantly scores goals. But I think it's more important to call him a super scorer. He has the pride, responsibility, and passion to win honors for Norway. He always gives his all, and for him, scoring is like enjoying the game."

This sense of honor in playing for Norway has even affected Haaland's family. Previously at Dortmund and Manchester City, he wore his father's surname "Haaland" on his jersey. But for the Norwegian national team, last September he added his mother's maiden name "Braut" to his jersey number, treating the World Cup journey as a family honor.

Norway's head coach Solbakken makes no secret of his trust in Haaland—a trust that dates back to when Haaland was just eight years old. His first coach, Undheim, had already noticed Haaland's intense hunger for goals. "He's always thinking about scoring. Even if he's not in a position to shoot, he'll do everything to get to a spot where he can. Every time he scores, he celebrates with abandon—you can see his craving for goals." Haaland also gets angry when teammates don't pass to him in time, causing him to miss scoring opportunities. But unlike other superstars, he knows how to channel that desire to help the team rather than disrupt the locker room atmosphere.

As Norway coach Solbakken puts it: "Get the ball to Haaland as often as possible—that's the core element of Norway's success. He always makes his teammates want to pass to him because he's constantly running, offering support, and transmitting his hunger for goals to everyone." With Jonathan David scoring a hat-trick and more players netting braces, Haaland's goal-scoring desire is being continuously ignited. On June 22nd, not just Norway but the entire stadium in New Jersey might feel the tremors caused by Haaland's goals.