For the very first time in his amazing career, Erling Haaland is about to hit football’s biggest stage. The Manchester City striker, who’s been seen as one of the best in the world for a while now, is all set to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In fact, he literally carried his team by scoring in every qualifying match, with a remarkable tally of 16 goals, the most ever by a European in a single qualifying campaign. But The Terminator already has a touching family connection to the Cup.

As he thought about this huge personal achievement, Haaland found himself reflecting not on his own skills, but on a strong family legacy that had been building for 32 years. In a genuine moment shared by CBS Sports Golazo on X, Haaland first talked about the deep feelings connected to his qualification.

“I don’t really think of World Cup at all. I just qualified for it for the first time in 28 years,” the Manchester City striker said, before turning to the core of his feelings.

“My father played in the World Cup 1994 in the USA, which is also special for me. So to be able to go to the US and play the World Cup there is truly something special… Maybe I will cry when I sing the national anthem finally.”

This honest reflection shows an athlete whose big dreams are deeply connected to a son’s wish to follow in his father’s path, which he would finally be able to achieve after 31 years. Alf-Inge Haaland, his father, was quite the tough midfielder and defender (who mostly played right-back).

He played 34 times for Norway and even got to represent his country at the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. For years, Alf-Inge had one special achievement that his much more celebrated son couldn’t quite match: he got to play in a World Cup.

Now that Erling has finally qualified for that elusive tournament, it really changes the game. What was once just a professional milestone has turned into a meaningful family moment. And the weight of history really is something, isn’t it?

The Manchester City star striker will be making history at the World Cup

“Norway will never win the World Cup. But if we can qualify, it will be like winning the title for other big nations. It will be the biggest celebration in history,”

Erling Haaland once shared his thoughts on the FIFA World Cup. However, after the match against Italy in the World Cup qualifiers, he mentioned, “I’m happy, but more than anything, relieved. The pressure was huge, I felt it. But it was fun, indescribable, just crazy.”

Even after clinching a historic treble, multiple league titles, and a bunch of other awards, he still had his sights set on that World Cup dream. So, since he qualified for it, Erling’s feelings have been all over the place. Haaland’s incredible qualifying performance, where he matched the record for the most goals in a single European qualifying campaign, was a true display of determination to break that drought.

The Manchester City striker carried the hopes of a nation that sees qualification as a huge achievement. Norway really showed its strength in Group I, going up against teams like Italy and a few others. Norway totally crushed it by winning all 8 of their matches! They only let in 5 goals while scoring an impressive 37 goals.

So, when the Norwegian national anthem plays in the United States, it’s not just about a powerful goal scorer; it’s also about a son paying tribute to his dad’s journey, all set to carve out his own story on the biggest stage for their family.