Like Father, Like Son: Three father-son pairs stand shoulder to shoulder representing the Norway national team from the 1994 World Cup to the 2026 World Cup.
On 30 June 2026, an event caused a stir in the World Cup community when Norway returned to the World Cup after 28 years in the United States, featuring three players whose fathers also played in the 1994 World Cup held in the U.S.
Starting with Erling Haaland, the star striker of Manchester City known as the "Sky Blues," who is the son of Alfie Haaland, a former Norwegian player who competed in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Now, Erling continues his legacy on the same continent 32 years later.
Next is Alexander Sørloth, a forward for Atlético Madrid known as the "Colchoneros," who is the son of Gøran Sørloth, also a member of Norway's 1994 World Cup squad. Meanwhile, Kristian Thorstvedt, a midfielder for Sassuolo, is the son of Erik Thorstvedt, Norway's former national team goalkeeper from the same era.
All three families were teammates on the Norway national team during the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Now, their sons have returned to play in the World Cup in the U.S. together, a rare occurrence in modern World Cup history.
In the group stage, the "Vikings," Norway's national team, advanced to the round of 32 as runners-up in Group I with 6 points from 3 matches. Erling Haaland scored 2 goals against Iraq and another 2 against Senegal, bringing his total to 59 goals in 52 national team appearances, the highest scoring record for Norway.