Norway 4-1 Estonia: Haaland and Sorloth braces all but secure World Cup qualification

Norway's place at the 2026 World Cup is all but assured after Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth both scored twice in a 4-1 qualifying win over Estonia in Oslo.

Stale Solbakken's side knew a victory over the Group I strugglers would mean only a thumping defeat to Italy in their final game on Sunday could deny them top spot, but the nerves were palpable at the Ullevaal Stadion as Estonia reached half-time still level at 0-0. 

After Sander Berge spurned an early chance, Norway's best opportunity of the opening period fell to Wolves left-back David Moller Wolfe, but his header off Haaland's knock-down was smothered by Karl Hein before Karol Mets cleared off the line.

But the floodgates finally opened five minutes into the second half, with Sorloth nodding Berge's chipped delivery in at the far post.

And just two minutes and 20 seconds later, Sorloth had his brace, stooping to head Julian Ryerson's deep cross into the bottom-right corner.

The home fans knew their team was World Cup-bound at that point, but things got better within four further minutes as Haaland scored with yet another header from a right-wing cross, also delivered by Ryerson.

Haaland had his second of the game when he volleyed home from Moller Wolfe's flick-on, and though Robi Saarma gave Estonia something to cheer when he skipped past Torbjorn Heggem and prodded into the near corner on the break, this was Norway's night.

Norway produced 1.98 expected goals (xG) to Estonia's 0.72 in the end, and they will now appear at their first major tournament since Euro 2000 as long as they avoid a huge defeat at San Siro, with their goal difference currently 19 better than Italy's.

Data Debrief: Haaland and Norway World Cup-bound with records in sight

Haaland has been the driving force behind Norway's remarkably dominant campaign, reaching 14 goals for the current qualification cycle, in just seven outings.

He could now clinch a record in Milan, as only Robert Lewandowski (16) and Cristiano Ronaldo (15), both in the build-up to the 2018 World Cup, have ever bettered his tally in a single UEFA World Cup qualification campaign (also 14 by Predrag Mijatovic, 1998).

Norway's 33 goals in seven matches, meanwhile, are already a joint-record for any World Cup or Euros qualification campaign this century, with Belgium (2018 World Cup) and England (Euro 2020) previously reaching that mark.

Twelve European teams had previously scored 33 goals or more in a single World Cup qualifying cycle, while eight have done so in a Euros qualification campaign. 

However, all but two of those teams required at least 10 matches to do so, with Germany (33 goals, World Cup 1982) and England (33, Euro 2020) doing so in eight games. One goal against Italy this weekend, then, would give Norway the all-time record for a cycle of fewer than 10 games.