Erling Haaland turned World Cup qualifying into his own spectacle on Tuesday night, firing five goals in Norway’s emphatic 11-1 thrashing of Moldova in Oslo. The Manchester City striker was simply unstoppable, powering Ståle Solbakken’s men to a fifth straight win that kept them perfect at the top of Group I with 15 points from five matches.
Haaland started the night as creator, teeing up Felix Myrhe for the opener inside six minutes. From there, the floodgates opened. He found the net in the 11th, 36th, and 43rd minutes to seal his fifth career hat-trick for Norway before the interval. Captain Martin Ødegaard then added a classy finish in first-half stoppage time, leaving the contest beyond doubt long before the break.
