“I’m convinced Erling Haaland will end up at Real Madrid”

Magnus Wolff Eikrem (Molde, Norway, 1990) was one of Norwegian soccer’s brightest young talents. A creative, goal-scoring midfielder, he joined Manchester United at just 16 as one of the club’s most exciting long-term prospects, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer becoming both his mentor and biggest supporter. Although he never established himself at Old Trafford, his career took him across Europe before he returned to Molde for a second spell.

It was there, as captain and the team’s leader, that he welcomed an ambitious teenager named Erling Haaland into the senior squad. Eikrem helped the young striker settle in and offered advice during his first steps in professional soccer. Now 35, still playing for Molde and a well-known TV analyst in Norway, he has watched Haaland’s remarkable rise from closer than almost anyone.

Has Norway finally calmed down after the World Cup?

Little by little. Beating Brazil sparked an explosion of joy across the country. I’d say it was the greatest sporting day in Norway’s history.

Norway has won more than 600 Olympic medals, including over 200 golds...

That’s true, but none of those achievements brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets the way this did. I know it wasn’t even the quarterfinals, but we knocked out the most successful national team in soccer history. Almost nobody expected that. The country went crazy. No other sport has ever created that kind of reaction.

Then came the painful elimination...

We had high hopes against England and I honestly think we deserved to go through. Even though we were knocked out, we’re incredibly proud of the players. They’re heroes to us. I also think the rest of the world will look at Norwegian soccer differently after this tournament.

Do you feel the elimination was unfair?

Absolutely. It hurt because we were the better team, but Clément Turpin made several mistakes. We had a perfectly good goal ruled out because of an alleged foul by Haaland, we weren’t awarded a clear penalty, and England’s goal came after the ball hit the camera cable. It was frustrating to go out like that because we didn’t deserve it, but it’ll motivate us to keep improving.

Haaland is now a national hero forever...

Without question. He already was before the World Cup, but now he’s reached another level. He scored seven goals for a national team that isn’t considered one of the world’s elite, and only Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi scored more – despite playing more games. Erling is now a lifelong icon in Norway.

You were there when he first arrived in professional soccer...

I remember it perfectly. He was 16 when he started training with Molde’s first team. He always had a smile on his face. You could tell he loved coming to practice. He gave everything, worked as hard as he could, respected everyone and had an incredible desire to learn. When someone is different, you notice immediately, and Erling was one of those players.

Was he already obsessed with improving physically and becoming a better player?

Yes. He knew exactly what he wanted. He trained hard, then stayed behind to practice penalties, finishing and anything related to his position. He was already interested in nutrition and performance, but what impressed me most was his attitude. He was genuinely happy doing what he loved. He enjoyed every minute and never cared how long he had to stay on the training field if it meant getting better.

Did you expect him to develop into the player he is today?

I’ll be honest. Nobody expected this. He looked incredibly promising, but he was still very young. It was impossible to predict he’d reach these heights. He’s earned everything through hard work.

Is he the best No. 9 in the world?

For me, yes – and I think many people would agree. He’s improved enormously. His obsession with details and constantly refining every part of his game is what has made him so great. Now he’s a scoring machine, and everyone can see that he’s sometimes impossible to stop. I’m proud to have witnessed the birth of his professional career.

Borussia Dortmund’s president has said Haaland loves Real Madrid, and his father has hinted he’d like to play there...

I think it’s something that could absolutely happen. In fact, I’m convinced it will happen one day. I won’t say it’s guaranteed, but I believe there’s a very strong chance. Real Madrid’s appeal around the world is enormous. He’s at a fantastic club with Manchester City, but I think he’d reach an even higher level in Madrid. That’s where the best players in the world are, and Erling is one of them. I think he’d score a huge number of goals, fit in perfectly, become a fan favorite and enjoy playing alongside so many world-class stars.

How would he fit alongside Mbappé, Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham?

Very well. Haaland doesn’t create problems. He’s humble, works hard, doesn’t need to be the center of attention, gets along well with teammates and adapts to any situation. He’s empathetic and has a great personality. I don’t think there would be any ego issues, at least not from him.

Another Norwegian who’s developed enormously is Martin Ødegaard. Would he have been a worthy successor to Luka Modrić?

Without any doubt. The problem was the timing. Martin had to leave Real Madrid because there simply wasn’t a path into the team at that point, but his development has been outstanding. He’s talented, hardworking, has exceptional vision, creates chances, accepts responsibility and leads when required. He does share similarities with a genius like Modrić and could have inherited that role in Madrid, but the timing didn’t work out. Now he’s a star at Arsenal and in the Premier League.

After this World Cup, is soccer now unquestionably Norway’s No. 1 sport?

Absolutely. I actually think it already was, but now there’s no debate. We’ve always loved winter sports, but soccer has a unique ability to bring people together. If Norway played an important game in Oslo tomorrow and the stadium held 100,000 people or more, it would sell out. Norwegians love soccer, and even more so now that this national team is growing into something special.

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