"I didn't think we'd beat Brazil," the monster Holand's 'real reaction'... "Sometimes I pinch myself; it's an unreal World Cup," he confesses

*This content was translated by AI.

The "monster" Erling Haaland (26, Manchester City), who brought down Brazil, expressed his overwhelming emotions, saying it was so unreal that he sometimes pinches himself.

On the 7th (Korean time), U.S. media outlet The Morning Call reported that "Haaland felt awe at his own magnificent performance and led Norway to a historic victory."

On the 6th, Haaland scored multiple goals in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Round of 16 match against Brazil held at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA, leading his home country Norway to a 2-1 win.

Norway, which stepped onto the World Cup stage for the first time in 28 years since the 1998 France tournament, advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history.

Haaland said, "It's special to score seven goals at the World Cup representing Norway. It feels so unreal that I sometimes pinch myself. I didn't expect we'd beat Brazil," sharing his emotional reflections.

Andreas Schjelderup, who assisted both of Haaland's goals, expressed his trust by saying, "I'm glad Haaland is on our team. Even if he doesn't look at the pass, he will definitely score."

Haaland's goal storm has continued throughout the tournament. After scoring multiple consecutive goals in the group stage matches against Iraq (4-1 win) and Senegal (3-2 win), he rested during the match against France (1-4 loss). He then scored the winning goal in the Round of 32 match against Ivory Coast (2-1 win) and added two more goals in the Brazil match, netting a total of seven goals in the tournament.

His performance is not limited to any specific team. In the English Premier League (EPL), Haaland has scored a total of 112 goals over four seasons. For the national team, he has recorded 62 goals in 54 A-match appearances. The media reported that "only four players worldwide, including Haaland, have scored more than 50 goals in A-matches since World War II while averaging over one goal per game."

Thanks to Haaland's performance, Norway is also rewriting its football history. After participating in the 1938, 1994, and 1998 tournaments, Norway qualified for the World Cup finals for the fourth time overall. Its previous best result was 12th place, and it had only once qualified for the European Championship finals in 2000, remaining on the periphery of international football. However, this tournament saw it achieve the historic milestone of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time.

Haaland's charm both inside and outside the stadium has also become a hot topic. After the match, he led fans in a "Viking clap" at the suggestion of captain Martin Ødegaard, cheering enthusiastically. On social media (SNS), he received 1 million likes after leaving an odd comment saying "Hi" on a video by a hair influencer who resembles him.

Haaland said firmly, "We are changing our country. Today, Norway proved it is among the world's top-level teams. I am proud of my homeland and all my teammates."

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*This content was translated by AI.