Erling Haaland: Striker surpasses 20 goals for season as Norway beat Israel in World Cup qualifier after protests
Erling Haaland scored another hat-trick as Norway beat Israel 5-0; the Man City forward takes his tally to 21 goals in 12 games for club and country - and we're only in October; before the game, there were pro-Palestinian protests
Saturday 11 October 2025 22:18, UK
Erling Haaland reached 21 goals for the season for club and country as his hat-trick helped Norway to a 5-0 win over Israel in their World Cup qualifier after pro-Palestine protests in Oslo.
Haaland's latest hat-trick means he has surpassed the 20-goal mark for the season in just 12 games. His second goal of the match - a header from Antonio Nusa's cross - made it 50 goals for Norway in just 46 matches.
Haaland could have had more had he converted a first-half penalty, but he saw see two attempts from 12 yards saved after referee Szymon Marciniak ordered the first kick to be retaken because Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz had moved off his line too soon, before saving his second attempt.
Norway's other two goals came from Israel own goals - conceded by Anan Khalaili and Idan Nachmias.
Before the game, pro-Palestinian protesters lit flares and waved flags as they marched to the stadium.
Public broadcaster NRK said around 1,000 protesters marched from Oslo's city centre to Ullevaal Stadion, where they were reportedly planning to stay until the start of the game at 6pm local time.
A banner about the war in Gaza was carried by the protesters in what appeared to be a peaceful march. A few dozen fans stayed to continue protesting outside the stadium once the match had started. Only 3,000 spectators were being allowed into the game amid tight security checks.
A Palestine flag was unfurled inside the stadium early in the game along with a banner which read "Let Children Live." Some fans jeered the Israel national anthem and others held up red cards in the crowd.
On Friday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino appealed for calm ahead of Israel's qualifying matches after Israel and Hamas agreed to a peace deal.
Haaland on track to shatter records
After Haaland's winner for Man City vs Brentford in the Premier League, Jamie Carragher described the striker as English football's "greatest goalscorer" after the game. The player himself said he is in the form of his life. "I've never felt better than I do now," he told Sky Sports.
So, is Haaland getting even better? His numbers make a compelling case.
He has already made history in the Champions League. With his goal his in 49th appearance in the competition against Napoli, Haaland became the quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals, smashing the record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who needed 62 games, with Lionel Messi next on 66.
For further context, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League's leading scorer with 140 goals, took 91 games to reach a half-century.
Haaland has of course been similarly prolific in the Premier League. His goal against Brentford took him to 94 in 104 appearances, giving him an unprecedented strike rate which puts him close to becoming the quickest player in the competition's history to join the 100-club ahead of Alan Shearer, who needed 125 games.
Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero, Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah are the next-fastest players behind Shearer to reach the milestone, all of them trailing in Haaland's wake.
Haaland's astonishing scoring rate makes him an outlier and, with nine years still to run on the extraordinary contract he signed in January, and having only turned 25 in July, he is on course to break just about every Premier League scoring record.
If he continues scoring at the same rate, and factoring his average playing time, Haaland is projected to beat Shearer's record of 260 Premier League goals in September 2030.
Should he stay at the Etihad Stadium for the duration of his contract, until 2034, the same projection suggests he will reach a staggering total of 389 Premier League goals.
Spain, Italy continue good WC qualifying form
Spain continued their dominant World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia.
Goals from Yeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal extended the European champions' perfect run in Group E as they edge closer to securing a place at the 2026 tournament.
Crystal Palace's Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a well-executed set-piece routine. Pedri delivered a free-kick from the left into the box, where defender Robin Le Normand provided an assist for Pino to finish into an empty net from close range.
The breakthrough for the second goal arrived in the 64th minute as Oyarzabal unleashed a stunning free-kick from the edge of the box, finding the top corner and sealing the result
The win leaves Spain top of Group E with nine points, three ahead of Turkey, while Georgia remain third with three points. Bulgaria sit bottom, having suffered three consecutive defeats.
Italy's hopes of at least making the World Cup qualifying playoffs were given a boost with a 3-1 win away to Estonia on Saturday thanks to goals from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui and Francesco Pio Esposito.
Kean got Italy off to the perfect start with a fourth minute strike. Retegui had a penalty saved on the half-hour mark but made amends to double the lead seven minutes from the break.
Esposito, who replaced the injured Kean early in the game, netted the visitors' third in the 74th but a howler from Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed Rauno Sappinen to pull one back for Estonia two minutes later.
Norway top Group I with 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a game in hand on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points.
The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup with the runners-up going into the playoffs.
