Thelo Aasgaard breaks Rangers record as first player to score at World Cup in 28 years

Thelo Aasgaard did something no Rangers player has managed since the early 1990s. He put the ball in the net at a World Cup.

The 24-year-old Norwegian midfielder scored his first World Cup goal on June 23, 2026, during Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal. It was a moment that broke a 28-year drought for Rangers players on the sport’s biggest stage, the last being Mo Johnston back in 1990.

Ally McCoist, the Rangers legend turned commentator, was visibly impressed by the finish.

From Liverpool reject to World Cup scorer

Born in Liverpool, he was released from Liverpool FC’s academy at just 14 years old. Instead, Aasgaard rebuilt through Norwegian and English lower leagues, grinding his way up through youth teams and reserve squads until he became the player standing on a World Cup pitch scoring goals for Norway.

He joined Rangers from Luton Town on July 5, 2025, for a reported fee of £3.5 million on a contract running through 2029. Since arriving at Ibrox, he has made 48 appearances and scored eight goals in competitive fixtures.

His international record told a different story. In World Cup qualifying, Aasgaard produced four goals in a single substitute appearance during an 11-1 demolition of Moldova.

Norway’s unlikely World Cup run

Aasgaard is part of a Norway squad managed by Ståle Solbakken that features Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. The victory over Senegal advanced Norway to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup.

With eight senior international caps and seven goals heading into the tournament, Aasgaard’s scoring rate at international level has been borderline absurd.

What this means for Rangers

Rangers paid £3.5 million for Aasgaard barely a year ago. Aasgaard’s contract running through 2029 gives Rangers significant leverage in any potential negotiations, meaning any interested party would need to pay a premium well above that initial £3.5 million outlay.

The Mo Johnston comparison is worth sitting with for a moment. Johnston’s 1990 World Cup goal came during a period when Rangers were a dominant force in Scottish football and regularly produced internationals competing at the highest level. The fact that it took 28 years for another Rangers player to score at the tournament says something about where the club has been in the intervening decades.

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