By Norway moved to within touching distance of their first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1998 after a commanding 4–1 victory over Estonia on Thursday, powered by doubles from Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth.
The win their seventh in seven qualifiers kept Norway firmly on top of Group I, three points clear of Italy and boasting a far superior goal difference. Only a mathematical possibility now separates Ståle Solbakken’s side from securing their long-awaited return to the world stage.
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For much of the first half, Norway seemed in danger of squandering their dominance as they created chance after chance but failed to convert. The pressure inside a packed Ullevaal Stadium grew as Estonia held firm, but the breakthrough came swiftly after halftime.
Sørloth rose highest to head home the opener early in the second period before doubling his tally just moments later with another powerful header, finally breaking Estonia’s resistance.
With the visitors on the back foot, the floodgates opened. Manchester City star Erling Haaland nodded in a pinpoint cross from Julian Ryerson to make it 3–0, before firing in his second seven minutes later to seal a decisive victory.
Estonia’s Robi Saarma pulled one back with a well-hit effort late in the game, but it served only as consolation on a night dominated by the Norwegians.
The celebrations in Oslo were temporarily muted as attention shifted to events in Modena, where Italy laboured against Moldova in a must-win fixture to keep their qualification hopes alive. The Azzurri registered 30 shots but failed to break the deadlock until the 88th minute, when Gianluca Mancini finally scored. Pio Esposito added a second in stoppage time, ensuring the race continues at least on paper.
Despite Italy’s late win, overturning Norway’s 17-goal advantage with only one match remaining appears all but impossible.
For Norway, qualification would mark the end of a 28-year absence from the World Cup their last appearance coming in France 1998, where a squad featuring Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Tore André Flo famously defeated Brazil.
Solbakken’s current side, led by the prolific Haaland, are now poised to write a new chapter in Norwegian football history, needing only a point or simply avoiding an implausible swing in goal difference to make their return to the global stage official.
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