Norwegian forward Erling Haaland has acknowledged that there is immense pressure on him as he aims to lead his country to their first men’s World Cup appearance since 1998. The Scandinavian side are on the verge of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after a dominant campaign, winning all seven of their matches ahead of their crucial away clash against second-placed Italy in Milan on Sunday evening.

Haaland has been prolific, netting 14 of Norway’s 33 goals in the qualifiers. The team currently tops Group I with a perfect record, having scored 33 goals in total. The Manchester City striker’s contribution includes five goals in an emphatic 11-1 victory over Moldova in September.

Norway will wrap up their qualification phase with a visit to Italy, who have won six of their seven matches, their only defeat coming in the reverse fixture in Oslo in June. On that occasion, Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa joined Haaland on the scoresheet in a commanding 3-0 win for Norway. It would take a heavy defeat for Italy to overtake Stale Solbakken’s side and claim the top spot in the group.

Haaland has been pivotal in Norway’s campaign, and the Manchester City star admitted he feels a deep sense of duty to help his nation reach the World Cup for the first time since the 1998 edition in France.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s match against Italy, Haaland said: “I feel a great responsibility to take Norway to the World Cup. I have been saying this for several years. There’s a lot on my shoulders, and that’s what I’ve been working towards ever since I joined the national team in 2019.”

“Now we’re so close, we can… I don’t know if you’d call it making history or something else. Norway hasn’t qualified for the World Cup in my lifetime, which makes this a huge moment for me. I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.”

Next summer’s tournament will come 32 years after the United States last hosted the World Cup, a competition in which Haaland’s father, former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Alf-Inge Haaland, represented Norway. Back in 1994, the team failed to advance past the group stage despite collecting four points, scoring only once before being eliminated.

Reflecting on the possibility of following in his father’s footsteps, Haaland said it would be “special” to play at the World Cup next year. “Of course, it’s special because my father played in 1994 in the US, and for me to hopefully play there almost 30 years later is quite special and has motivated me a lot,” he added.

Haaland also admitted he has been “feeling the pressure” of representing his country and carrying their hopes on his back. “I’ve felt the pressure ever since I joined the national team in 2019,” said the 25-year-old.

However, the City striker explained that he now handles such pressure much better than when he first broke into the national setup. “Honestly, I felt more pressure back then because I wasn’t good at managing it. Now I’m better; I think I’m an expert at dealing with it. Still, there’s a lot of pressure,” he stated.

As Norway prepare to face Italy, Haaland will look to maintain his impressive form this season. The prolific forward has scored in all but two matches for club and country, with his only goal droughts coming in league losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa.

Having found the net in every World Cup qualifying appearance so far, Haaland will be confident of adding to his tally against Italy at San Siro. The Azzurri, meanwhile, face an almost impossible task—they must win 9-0 in Milan to overtake Norway at the top of the group and avoid the playoffs in order to secure direct qualification for next summer’s tournament in the United States.