Haaland surpasses Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic with match-winning brace as Norway beat Denmark
Norway forward Erling Haaland scored twice and became football's most prolific international scorer, helping Norway beat Denmark 3-2 in their UEFA Nations League opener.
Norway open Nations League campaign with a win
Norway's national team beat Denmark 3-2 in Oslo in the opening match of UEFA Nations League A, Group 4, according to the BBC. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored twice, including the winning goal.
How the match unfolded
Norway took the lead through Fulham forward Oscar Bobb, who curled the ball home after a pass from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard. According to the BBC, about four minutes later Haaland doubled the lead with a first-time finish set up by winger Antonio Nusa; Goal.com specifies this came in the 18th minute. Denmark responded before half-time: Brentford midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard pulled one back with a stunning 25-yard free-kick, and former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund leveled the score at 2-2 around the hour mark. In the 74th minute, Haaland struck again from a well-worked short corner to make it 3-2, securing victory for Norway. Norway substitute David Moller Wolfe was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card, though it did not affect the result. The win put Norway top of their group, as Portugal beat Wales 1-0 in the section's other fixture.
Haaland surpasses Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic
According to Goal.com, citing The Athletic, the brace brought Haaland's international goal tally to 64, surpassing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who each finished their international careers with 62 goals. Haaland reached the mark in just his 56th appearance for Norway - a scoring ratio of better than one goal per game.
Context
Norway arrived at the tournament with momentum from a strong 2026 World Cup campaign, reaching the quarter-finals after beating Brazil and Ivory Coast, before losing to England. Denmark, meanwhile, had won the sides' previous meeting 3-1 in a June 2024 friendly, according to OneFootball, which made them favorites by some pre-match assessments. Haaland and Norway next face Portugal on Sunday for top spot in the group, before playing Wales on Thursday, October 1.
