Erling Haaland delivered a stunning hat-trick as Norway demolished Kazakhstan, securing promotion to the top tier of the Nations League. The Manchester City forward, who became Norway’s all-time leading scorer just last month, now boasts an impressive 38 goals in 39 appearances for his country. With seven goals in six group matches, Haaland also stands as the Nations League’s top scorer.
The striker opened the scoring by slotting in a rebound after Antonio Nusa’s shot was saved by Kazakhstan goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov. Haaland doubled the lead soon after, converting a header from Nusa’s precise cross. Alexander Sorloth then added a third goal just before the break, putting Norway firmly in control.
In the second half, Haaland completed his hat-trick with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, following a pass from Sander Berge. Nusa, the Leipzig teenager, rounded off the dominant performance by scoring Norway’s fifth goal, capping a thoroughly convincing win.
The result propelled Norway to the top of Group B3, surpassing Austria, who had drawn 1-1 with Slovenia. Austria’s hopes of topping the group were dashed when Slovenia equalized late in their match—Adam Gnezda Cerin’s goal leveled the score, leaving Austria to settle for second place. As a result, Austria will now face a promotion-relegation play-off against a third-place team from the Nations League’s top flight.
