Erling Haaland is a goal machine for Norway's National Soccer Team, and he recently smashed a hat-trick against Israel to keep his team top of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.

That made the Manchester City superstar only the sixth player ever to score 50 international goals in fewer than 50 games - joining legends like Germany's Gerd Müller,Brazil's legend Pelé, and Hungary's own Ferenc Puskás. And Haaland did it faster than anyone in over half a century.

In just 46 games, Erling has 51 goals. To put that in perspective, at the same stage, Argentina's icon Lionel Messi had 13 and Portugal's eternal captain Cristiano Ronaldo had 17.

Haaland could have played for England

However, the story could have been totally different for Norway if Haaland would have decided to play for the country he was born in, England. How did he decided to wear the Norwegian jersey instead of the Three Lions badge? The answer is simple and surprising at the same time.

Haaland could have easily been belting out "God Save the King" before smashing goals for England. After all, he was born in Leeds - the same city that gave us Spice Girl Mel B, celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, and even Neville Longbottom himself (yep, Matthew Lewis from Harry Potter).

The English FA definitely noticed that golden birth certificate. After Haaland's mind-blowing nine-goal performance for Norway at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup (yes, nine goals in one game - not a typo), the folks in charge of England's national team thought, "We need this guy." They even reached out to Gareth Southgate, the waistcoat-wearing mastermind, to see if Haaland could be convinced to wear the English shirt.

Erling's heart was in a different place

But there was a small hitch. Haaland's heart? 100% Norwegian. Way back in April 2001, when his dad Alf-Inge Haaland was playing for Norway, he brought baby Erling a gift from an international friendly in Oslo - a tiny red jersey with the Norwegian flag. Haaland was only nine months old, but from that moment on, destiny had been sealed.

Growing up by the shimmering Lake Froylandsvatnet in Bryne, Erling spoke Norwegian, played with Norwegian friends, and did all the classic Norwegian things - skiing, loving animals, and chilling in cozy cabins. "I always felt 100 percent Norwegian," he once said.

Even Southgate, England's top boss at the moment, admitted defeat with a grin. "He feels that allegiance to the country he's always represented. You have to respect that." Of course, some English legends like Ian Wright couldn't help but wonder: "He'd probably score more goals with England, play in more tournaments, maybe even win one." Maybe... but Haaland wasn't following the fame. He was following his roots.

And it turns out, that decision might just rewrite Norway's football history. Teammates call him unreal, coaches call him unstoppable, and defenders probably just call for backup. But Haaland? He keeps it simple. "All I care about is winning the next match," he says.