Erling Haaland joins Harry Kane with unique World Cup record after brace against Senegal

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Erling Haaland is already making his mark on World Cup history, joining an exclusive club after another clinical display against Senegal.

The Norway striker scored twice in a 3-2 win, adding to the brace he bagged on debut against Iraq to take his tally to four for the tournament.

It is yet another reminder of Haaland’s remarkable goalscoring ability, with the Manchester City striker quickly emerging as one of the standout performers of the tournament.

Haaland matches Harry Kane’s rare World Cup feat

Haaland announced himself on the World Cup stage with two goals against Iraq before repeating the feat against Senegal.

That fast start has seen him join Harry Kane in an exclusive World Cup club. Haaland is just the second player in the last 50 years to score two or more goals in each of his first two tournament appearances, matching the England captain’s feat from 2018.

That means he has scored four goals in his first two World Cup appearances, becoming just the second player in the last half-century to score multiple goals in each of his opening two matches at the tournament.

The only other player to achieve the feat over that period was Kane during England’s run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Given the number of elite forwards who have appeared at the tournament over the last five decades, it is a statistic that underlines just how impressive Haaland’s start has been.

Haaland enters Golden Boot race led by Lionel Messi

Haaland’s latest brace also moved him firmly into contention for the Golden Boot.

The Norway striker now sits on four goals, level with France star Kylian Mbappe in the standings. Only Lionel Messi has scored more goals at the tournament so far.

Messi leads the race with five goals after his own outstanding start to the competition, while Haaland and Mbappe are tied in second place on four.

With Norway looking dangerous going forward and Haaland finding the net at an extraordinary rate, the race for the Golden Boot is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing storylines of the World Cup.

For now, though, Haaland’s focus will be on helping Norway advance deep into the tournament. If he continues scoring at this pace, more records could soon follow.