Erling Haaland: 'Big moment' to score for Norway on my FIFA World Cup debut

The Manchester City striker was the driving force behind the victory, continuing the rich vein of form that helped Norway reach the finals for the first time in 28 years.

His latest goals have further raised expectations that the Scandinavian nation could make a significant impact at the tournament being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Haaland entered the competition in peak condition and quickly demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the world's most feared forwards.

The 25-year-old's brace ensured Norway began their campaign with maximum points and underlined his importance to the team's ambitions.

The prolific attacker was already central to Norway's qualification success, having netted an extraordinary 16 goals in eight matches on the road to the World Cup. His contribution was a major factor in ending the country's lengthy absence from football's biggest event.

"Everyone knows this is amazing, everyone knows it's a big moment for me and a big stage. It's fun, but there's a lot of pressure, so let's just keep going," the striker said.

"Today you saw me playing with the same energy as during the World Cup qualifiers. I'm proud of us."

While Norway's 4-1 triumph was not flawless and exposed weaknesses, particularly at the back, the biggest positive was Haaland's ability to maintain his outstanding scoring form on the grandest stage.