Erling Haaland continues to redefine what it means to be a modern-day striker. The Manchester City forward, who has already set remarkable records in England, added yet another extraordinary chapter to his career with a breathtaking display for Norway.
Known for his power, speed, and lethal finishing, Haaland proved once again why he is one of the most feared strikers in world football.
The 25-year-old was at the heart of everything as Norway dismantled Moldova in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Like many of Europe’s most experienced defenders have failed to contain him in the Premier League and Champions League, Moldova faced the full force of Haaland’s brilliance on a night that will be remembered for years.
Norway not only secured maximum points, but they also humiliated Moldova, and the man orchestrating the demolition job was none other than Haaland himself.
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He scored five goals in the space of 90 minutes, a feat that very few strikers in world football could even dream of. But his contributions did not stop there. Haaland also created two assists, meaning he directly contributed to seven of Norway’s goals in one game.
Erling Haaland against Moldova: A performance for the ages
The game quickly turned into a showcase of Haaland’s complete attacking arsenal. His first goal highlighted his predatory instincts, timing his run to perfection before slotting calmly past the goalkeeper.
The second and third demonstrated his composure inside the box, while the fourth and fifth underlined his power and accuracy from distance.
What made the night even more memorable was his willingness to create for others.
Haaland’s two assists showed his unselfish side, as he dropped deeper to link play and carve open Moldova’s already vulnerable defense.
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The performance of Erling Haaland against Moldova was so complete that statistical analysts at FotMob awarded him a perfect 10.0 rating.
This is an incredibly rare achievement in football, with only four other players in history ever recording such a score in a competitive 90-minute match.
Erling Haaland awarded a perfect 10.0 rating
Haaland now finds himself in elite company. The four other players to have achieved the highest FotMob rating include Neymar Jr, Thomas Meunier, Benoný Breki Andrésson, and Omar Faraj.
Neymar achieved his rating in 2017 for Paris Saint-Germain when he scored twice and assisted twice in a 6-2 Ligue 1 victory over Toulouse.
Belgian full-back Meunier also secured a 10.0 rating in August 2017, during a World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar. His remarkable display included three goals and four assists as Belgium cruised to a 9-0 win.
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Icelandic forward Andrésson scored five goals in a 7-0 win for KR Reykjavík over HK Kópavogs, while Sweden’s Omar Faraj netted all five goals for Degerfors in their stunning 5-0 opening-day victory over Halmstads.
Like the footballers on this list, the performance of Erling Haaland against Moldova will go down as one of the greatest individual masterclasses ever witnessed.
