Erling Haaland hat-trick helps Norway sink Israel against backdrop of protests

<p>On a day of pro-Palestine demonstrations, high security and skirmishes in Oslo, Norway run out convincing victors</p><p>A hot potato of an occasion passed with minor blemishes off the pitch. Erling Haaland stole the attention with a hat-trick on it, rendering his early double penalty miss a discordant memory, and the upshot was that Norway could look with clear heads toward a near-certain first World Cup appearance in 27 years. A win over Estonia next month will confirm their presence; Egil Olsen, their manager at France 1998, watched as Israel offered scant opposition to Europe’s most ruthless attacking force.</p><p>It also means Italy, already sore from successive failures to qualify, are likely to face another playoff date. Perhaps Norway’s domination of Group I should prove little surprise: the Israel manager, Ran Ben Shimon, said afterwards that they and Spain are the two best teams on the continent.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/11/erling-haaland-hat-trick-helps-norway-ease-past-israel-against-backdrop-of-protests">Continue reading...</a>