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Manchester City star Erling Haaland has refused to talk about Norway as a contender for the 2026 World Cup, despite his side's impressive start to the tournament.
The Norwegian striker scored twice in a 3-2 win over Senegal, helping his national team secure qualification for the knockout stages for the first time since 1998.
The two goals scored brought Haaland to four goals in this World Cup, tying him with Kylian Mbappe and remaining just one goal behind Lionel Messi in the race for the "Golden Boot".
However, the Manchester City star has preferred to remain down to earth.
"France? I don't care, we've qualified. They'll probably beat us and win the whole tournament."
Norway and France each have six points after two matches and will face off on Friday for first place in the group.
When asked if this could be his World Cup, the 25-year-old made a distinction between current success and bigger dreams.
"Winning the World Cup? Absolutely not. I think we should be a little realistic and rejoice. Every Norwegian on the planet should be happy today."
The festive atmosphere surrounding Norway's success was evident even before the match, when Norwegian fans gathered in Times Square and caught the attention of Americans with their famous rowing celebration.
After the victory over Senegal, Norway's players repeated the same celebration on the pitch.
"It was crazy. Martin Odegaard and I talked just before the game about whether we should join the celebration if everything went according to plan. And so it did. It was a very special moment for all of Norway."
The striker admitted that this is one of the biggest nights of his life.
"I think it's one of the greatest nights I've ever experienced. I have the same feeling I had after the Champions League final in 2023. It's something gigantic. I'm incredibly proud," he said.
"I want to achieve things with Norway. I want to qualify for the World Cup, the European Championship and every possible tournament. This shows that anything is possible, no matter where you come from. The World Cup is without a doubt the biggest stage. It's fantastic," Haaland concluded.
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