The Viking continues his domination. Norway punched its ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals by stunning Brazil in the Round of 16 behind another pair of goals from Erling Haaland, who extended his perfect goal-a-game tournament streak. Haaland has transformed the perception of Norway with his play on the pitch. He earned praise after the win over Brazil from FOX Sports soccer analyst and Swedish soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimović, who offered quite the comparison for the Norwegians. "When the lion is hungry, he eats," Ibrahimović said. "This Norway [team] reminds me of Sweden in World Cup 1994. Let’s see if they can reach as far as Sweden did. Sweden came in third place, but the story is a little bit similar and it’s beautiful to see." Norway has a chance to pull off one of the most memorable World Cup runs in recent history with Haaland leading the way. He has scored seven tournament goals and will look to keep them rolling in the quarterfinals against the winner of the Mexico-England match. Norway hasn't experienced much success at the men's World Cup, with its last appearance coming in 1998, when it reached the Round of 16 before falling to Italy. Now, behind Haaland, it has reached the quarterfinals for the first time in history. Haaland has been one of the breakout stars of the World Cup, leading Norway to new heights while putting himself as the top of the Golden Boot race with Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappé. It's easy to see why Ibrahimović has become a fan of Haaland. The Norwegian striker has been one of the World Cup's biggest stars and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. "Now the Vikings are through the next round, and we’re enjoying Haaland," Ibrahimović said. "I said it before the game: He’s a player to watch. "Will he go a game without a goal? Not yet." Erling Haaland earned praise after Norway's win over Brazil from Zlatan Ibrahimović, who offered quite the comparison for the Norwegians.
News Source : Fox Sports and Read the full article →
