Ahead of the World Cup, Zlatan Ibrahimović declared that Erling Haaland still had some work to do in order to "reach the freak of nature." But after the Norwegian star scored twice in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq, Ibrahimović is singing a different tune about Haaland.
Ibrahimović said that Haaland is "getting close to Zlatan" following Tuesday's performance.
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, Ibrahimović only had 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.
As Haaland put up another masterclass on Tuesday, here are some numbers to know about the Norwegian star.
33: Haaland has now scored in 33 of his 51 matches with Norway.
14: Norway has now won 14 straight matches when Haaland scores (all comps).
16: Norway is also unbeaten all-time when he has a multi-goal game at 16-0-0 (W-D-L).
11: Tuesday was the 11th straight competitive international match (non-friendly) with a goal for Haaland.
He has 22 goals in that span (including his two on Tuesday).
17: Haaland has scored at least one goal in 17 of his 20 official matches with Norway since the start of 2023 (30 goals).
16: Haaland's 16 goals during World Cup qualifiers led all players.
18: Haaland has scored 18 goals between World Cup qualifiers and Tuesday's match, averaging two goals per match over nine matches.
9.17: Haaland logged a 9.17 player rating in Tuesday's match, per FotMob.
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 (per FotMob) as he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Senegal.
162: As for club play, Haaland has scored in 162 of his 198 matches for Manchester City.
3: 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.
36: 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.
How To Watch 2026 FIFA World Cup 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.
Sources: Fox Sports
