Zlatan Ibrahimović gave Erling Haaland his flowers following his two-goal performance on Tuesday.
Ibrahimović said that Haaland is"getting close to Zlatan" following Tuesday's performance.
"It's a great start. This was what we wanted and we got it. This was all about Haaland," Ibrahimović said on FOX's"World Cup Live.
" "He might not get the assist for the last goal, but he was there and created a chance. The stars showed up and made him a lion today. This is what he gave me back. So, I might move him up my ‘King of the Jungle’ list.
He's getting close to Zlatan. So, we're happy with his performance today.
" Haaland, 25, has emerged as arguably the top goalscorer in the world over the last few years, scoring at an elite level with Norway and Manchester City. But he had never played in a World Cup match prior to Tuesday. And ahead of the match, Ibrahimovićhad Haaland ranked fifth in his"King of the Jungle" List. So, Haaland still had something to prove.
Well, Haaland certainly showed that he's now ready for the World Cup stage. He's one of six players to have scored two goals in the World Cup, joining the likes of France's Kylian Mbappé and others. Tuesday was the 11th straight competitive international match with a goal for Haaland. He has 22 goals in that span .
Haaland has scored at least one goal in 17 of his 20 official matches with Norway since the start of 2023 . Haaland has scored 18 goals between World Cup qualifiers and Tuesday's match, averaging two goals per match over nine matches.. That's the highest rating a player has had in any match so far in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France's Kylian Mbappé had the previous high, logging a 9.02 player rating as he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Senegal. Haaland has won the Premier League's Golden Boot as the league's top scorer in three of his first four seasons with Manchester City. The 36 goals Haaland scored for Manchester City in the 2022-23 season are the most ever scored by a player in a single Premier League season.
The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Odds: Which Squads Will Make Final 8?2026 World Cup: France Alone Atop Oddsboard After Opening WinGet more from the FIFA Men's World Cup2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Odds: Which Squads Will Make Final 8?2026 World Cup: France Alone Atop Oddsboard After Opening WinFOX SPORTS™, SPEED™, SPEED. COM™ & © 2026 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC.
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