Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland dazzle on same day

EASTS RUTHERFORD, N.J.: After Lionel Messi scored two goals to set the World Cup record and Kylian Mbappe kept pace in the career chase, Erling Haaland delivered another dazzling performance on a showcase day for the tournament’s top stars.

Haaland scored twice for Norway in the first 15 minutes of the second half of a 3-2 win over Senegal on Tuesday, making up for clanking a shot off the post and getting denied on a header just before halftime. His performance came hours after Messi scored two for Argentina and Mbappe did the same for France.

Teammate Kristian Thorstvedt called Haaland a big-game player who lives for these moments. Roughly a month away from his 26th birthday, Haaland is showing he can keep up with some of football’s more experienced stars while playing on a team without the same pedigree or championship history.

“He is the best striker,” coach Ståle Solbakken said through an interpreter. “He is not playing for France or Argentina. He scores for Norway.”

The three have combined to score 13 goals in the World Cup: five for Messi and four each for Mbappe and Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot, which Iraq coach Graham Arnold predicted will be a very good competition between them.

“It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina,” Solbakken said. “But we’ll try to give Erling more games and more help in the next games.”

Messi became the World Cup’s career scoring leader with 18 goals when he and Argentina beat Austria in Arlington, Texas. Mbappé is now at 16, tied with former record holder Miroslav Klose, after he and France beat Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia.

Playing in his first World Cup, Haaland is at four. Norway last qualified in 1998 — two years before he was born.

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