Erling Haaland scored a brace in his World Cup debut to have all Norway dreaming of a football fairytale as they make their return to the tournament after a 28-year absence.
Haaland's goals led his nation to a 4-1 win in their World Cup opener against Iraq.
"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.
The victory was lacklustre for long stretches and revealed major weaknesses, especially on defence. The most important takeaway, however, is that Haaland has lost none of the form he showed during World Cup qualifying and is in top shape for the year's highlight.
"Today you saw me playing with the same energy as during the World Cup qualifiers. I'm proud of us," he said.
With 16 goals in eight qualifying games, the Manchester City star almost single-handedly led the Scandinavians to the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
No wonder coach Ståle Solbakken praised his protégé as the world's best striker - a title Haaland still rejects.
"I didn't score the most goals this season. Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé scored more goals. That's the reality, it's not me," the player explained.
He'll have a direct duel against Mbappé on June 26 in the final group stage match. The Frenchman also scored twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal.
Solbakken said that he "put a little pressure on Haaland before the game" and stressed: "He's a player who thrives in big games."
Swedish football great Zlatan Ibrahimovic also praised Haaland.
"I guess I'll have to move him up on my list of the 'Kings of the Jungle.' He's getting closer and closer to Zlatan," he said.
