Erling Haaland Has Shocking Response When Asked if He's Best Striker Alive

Norway is in the FIFA men’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and we all owe them for qualifying and allowing Erling Haaland to perform on this stage.

Haaland, 25, netted a brace before halftime in his electric World Cup debut, a 4-1 win over Iraq on Tuesday, and you’d think that would have the Manchester City star striker soaring on top of the world.

But Haaland was endearingly grounded when asked if he considered himself the best striker in the world.

“[Best] goal scorer? I would say I’m up there,” Haaland said, per FOX Soccer. “I don’t think I scored the most goals this season, so statistically, no, I’m not because I think Harry Kane and [Kylian] Mbappe scored more goals than me. And that’s the reality. So, no, I’m not.”

Haaland claimed his third English Premier League Golden Boot of his career after netting 27 goals for Manchester City this season. He scored 38 total goals across all competitions.

France’s Mbappe, by comparison, led LaLiga with 25 goals for Real Madrid, but he added 15 more goals in UEFA Champions League play and two more in Copa del Rey for a 42-goal total. And then there was England’s Harry Kane, who blew everyone else out of the water with Bayern Munich this season: 36 goals in German Bundesliga, 14 in Champions League, and 10 in German Cup.

In terms of World Cup performances so far, the trio is level. Haaland, Kane, and Mbappe each notched a brace in his opening match, and the race is on for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot. Kane won it in 2018, and Mbappe won it in 2022. Lest we forget about Lionel Messi, the 38-year-old wonder, who scored a hat trick in Argentina’s opening win over Algeria and is seeking back-to-back World Cup titles.

Haaland is a fierce competitor, but he’s also kind of just happy to be here.

“​I haven’t thought too much about that [how Norway, or himself, will perform] because my main goal was to qualify,” Haaland told ESPN’s Connor O’Halloran. “Honestly, now I’ll take everything as a bonus.

“All the young Norwegian kids can experience how it is to have their country there, and for sure they will remember these moments as well.”

Haaland and Norway will next face Senegal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Monday, June 22, but everyone is looking ahead to the Haaland-Mbappe showdown in the France-Norway Group I finale on June 26. Norway and France are currently tied atop Group I.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:46 PM.