Totalsportek

MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland has emerged as the main character behind Norway’s comeback after scoring 16 goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, helping the small Scandinavian nation book a spot at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

The Manchester City forward scored twice as Norway beat Italy 4-1 at San Siro, taking his tally to 16 goals – twice as many as any other European player in qualifying.

Haaland, 25, also scored five goals in a huge 11-1 win over Moldova and has at least one goal in each of Norway’s eight matches.

“It’s all about being in a situation where I can score goals. This is absolutely crazy. I’m proud and very happy. The 4-1 away win… it shows we’re becoming more unpredictable,” said Haaland.

His closest challengers – Harry Kane, Memphis Depay and Marko Arnautovic – have only collected eight goals each.

Norway manager Stale Solbakken hailed Haaland as a “goal machine”, while acknowledging that Italian fans also gave the star a standing ovation.

The applause was not just for his goals, but for his prowess as a 1.95-meter-tall striker who combined physical power, accuracy and sharpness of finish, making him one of the most feared strikers in the world.

Haaland insists taking Norway to the World Cup is the “main goal” of his career and the success of qualifying this time is proof of the rapid development of Norwegian football.

“We broke the code, became better players. Many made great successes like Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb.

“As a small country, we need to enjoy this moment. I think this is the beginning of something big,” he said.

In Norway, which has a population of less than six million, Haaland is considered a national icon.

In his hometown of Bryne, several murals have been created in his honor, and there was even a three-meter-tall wooden statue that was stolen in 2022 because it was said to be “unidentical”.

His leadership was also evident during the 4-1 win over Estonia, when he gave an emotional speech at half-time and then caused a sensation by buying dozens of burgers for his teammates after the match while still wearing a Norway jersey.

With his reputation now at an incredible level, Haaland will continue to be at the heart of Norway’s bid for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi has refused to confirm whether he will lead Argentina to defend its World Cup trophy next year.

The defending champions became the first team from South America to qualify for the tournament when Bolivia drew 0-0 with Hungary on March 25.

Despite having 195 caps for Argentina and scoring 114 goals, Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, has yet to announce whether he will wear the national jersey next season.

In an interview with Spanish outlet SPORT, the Inter Miami star admitted he “didn’t want to be a burden” to the Argentine team.

“It’s something special to play with the national team, especially in a big official tournament, let alone after winning the World Cup.

“But like I said, I don’t want to be a burden. I want to feel physically fit and confident that I can help and contribute to the team,” Messi said.

Messi highlighted the difference in the MLS schedule with European leagues as a key factor.

“Our season is different to the European season. We will have a pre-season in between, with a few matches before the World Cup, and we will see day by day whether I really feel fit enough to be at the level I want to be and be able to participate in this tournament,” he said.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni named Messi in his squad for this international break, but admitted his team is now also preparing for a possible future without the icon.

“The team is now in a phase where it can play with or without Leo, something that used to be more complicated because we had to change some players,” Scaloni said.

Messi also made a secret visit to Barcelona on his way to Alicante for Argentina training, visiting the newly renovated Nou Camp for the first time since the renovations.

Speaking about his dream of returning to the Catalan club, Messi said: “I really want to go back. We miss Barcelona a lot, the children and the wife often talk about life there.

“We have a house and everything, that’s what we wanted. I really miss all the moments at Barca. Maybe now I enjoy it more than when I was still playing.”

Messi’s decision on whether to participate in the 2026 World Cup is now a big question mark for Argentine fans and the football world.

BARCELONA: Marcus Rashford assured Barcelona fans that he “can play better” after scoring in a 3-1 win over Elche.

The 28-year-old England striker left his comfort zone when he moved from Manchester United last summer after falling out of favour at Old Trafford.

Last season, he was loaned to Aston Villa and showed impressive performances before being hit by injury.

However, United manager Ruben Amorim still did not retain him, paving the way for Rashford to join Lamine Yamal and his new teammates in Catalunya.

Among Rashford’s sweet moments with Barca were his two goals against Newcastle in the Champions League, but the Spanish media continued to question his overall contribution.

His recent goal against Elche took his tally to six goals and seven assists in 14 appearances.

Although satisfied with his performance so far, Rashford admits there is still room for improvement.

“I tried to give my best. I could have played better against Elche and I promise to keep improving, but overall I’m happy with my performance,” Rashford said.

Rashford also stressed the victory was important after the defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico the previous week.

“It’s a very important win. After losing, the most important thing is to win the next game. I believe if I do the right things on the pitch with the team, I will always be able to score goals and create chances.

“My goal is to connect and keep up with my teammates, and I think we’re at that level now.

“We have to keep playing as a team. This is Barcelona, ​​so the demands are always high. It’s true, we have a lot of injured players, but that’s part of football.

“The same eleven players will not win every match. We must remain united and have a fighting spirit,” he said.

Rashford previously admitted that it was difficult to adapt to the Spanish style of football, but the adaptation process is still ongoing.

Former Barca player Lluis Carreras commented that Rashford needs to play with more confidence.

“It’s hard to explain, he has some problems. He plays in a position that requires experimentation and creativity, not just receiving the ball and passing it back. He needs to be sharper in those situations,” said Carreras.

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Arne Slot defended his decision to field his second line after being eliminated from the League Cup following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, thus continuing the Reds’ string of poor results.

The Premier League champions have now lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions, including four consecutive defeats in the league.

Slot clearly showed his team’s priorities before kick-off when he made 10 substitutions, with key players such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah not even listed in the squad.

The young line-up fielded was easily defeated by Palace, who have now beaten Liverpool three times this season.

Ismaila Sarr scored twice in the first half before Yeremy Pino added a third late in the game after Liverpool substitute Amara Nallo was sent off.

“It’s not Liverpool’s standard to lose six out of seven games,” said Slot, who cited this week’s busy schedule as the reason for his squad selection.

Liverpool now face the mission of ending their losing streak in the Premier League when they meet Aston Villa, who are in good form, this Saturday.

Real Madrid will also visit Anfield in the Champions League next Tuesday before Liverpool visit Manchester City on November 9.

“I can’t put a key player in a situation like this. We have a game tonight, then just two days off before Aston Villa, two more days against Real Madrid and a few days after that against Manchester City.

“Everyone can have their own opinion, but with the squad we have, maybe only 15 or 16 key players available, this is the decision I made,” he said.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace, who are also FA Cup champions, are now eyeing the opportunity to add to their trophy collection after being drawn to face Arsenal away from home in the quarter-finals.

MADRID: Jude Bellingham scored the winner as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in a tense Clasico earlier this morning, widening their five-point gap at the top of La Liga.

Defending champions Barcelona had won four consecutive meetings last season, but new Real manager Xabi Alonso ended that streak in his debut in charge of the prestigious competition.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for Madrid before Fermin Lopez equalised for the visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu. But Bellingham added a second goal before half-time that proved decisive.

Tensions peaked at the end of the match when Barca midfielder Pedri was shown a red card after collecting a second yellow card.

The victory saw Madrid make it nine wins from their first 10 league games of the season, making up for the disappointment of their defeat to Atletico Madrid last month.

“Against Atletico we didn’t play as expected and today we proved our true potential. We need to keep up this pace,” said Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

Alonso admitted that the victory was very meaningful after last season Real failed to compete with Barca in a big meeting.

“We need a win like this to restore our confidence in being able to beat big teams,” he said.

Meanwhile, the visiting squad is being managed by assistant coach Marcus Sorg after Hansi Flick was suspended following a red card last week in the win over Girona.

“The season is still long, there are 28 matches left. We’re not panicking about the current situation,” said Sorg.

Barcelona were without several key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, while Lamine Yamal, who is still not fully recovered, was also included.

Madrid were almost awarded an early penalty after Yamal collided with Vinicius Junior, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review.

Mbappe didn’t wait long to celebrate when a brilliant run and a perfect pass from Bellingham allowed the French striker to curl a shot past Wojciech Szczesny – his 11th league goal of the season.

The Polish goalkeeper then made several crucial saves before Barcelona equalised on the counter-attack, when Marcus Rashford crossed for Lopez to finish in the 38th minute.

But five minutes later, Bellingham restored Madrid’s lead when he headed home Eder Militao’s rebound after a Vinicius Junior pass.