Erling Haaland Shifts World Cup Pressure To England Ahead Of Quarterfinal Clash

Norway striker Erling Haaland stated that his team faces low odds of winning the World Cup, placing the pressure on England ahead of their quarterfinal match on Saturday in Miami. Haaland has scored seven goals in five matches during the tournament, helping Norway reach the quarterfinals. He noted that Thomas Tuchel's England squad should be viewed as one of the tournament favorites.

When asked to rate Norway's chances of winning the tournament, Haaland said, "Really low, still." He expanded on the matchup, stating, "I think there's some clear favorites out there, England's one of them. I think all of you [reporters] should put every single pressure on the English lads." Haaland, who plays for Manchester City and was born in Leeds, noted the personal significance of the upcoming match. "It's a special game, definitely.

I think for me it's super special, because I play in England and I was born in England, and you also play against teammates and everything. It's a funny game and it's going to be nice," Haaland said. When asked if England supporters should stay humble, referencing a previous comment he made during a Premier League match against Arsenal in September 2024, Haaland responded, "I think everyone should stay humble.

They should be confident of progressing definitely, it's England." He also agreed that the pressure rests entirely on England, answering, "Yeah, definitely." The comments align with the forward's approach throughout the tournament. Ahead of Norway's final group stage match against France, where Haaland was rested on the bench and France won 4-1, he expressed a relaxed perspective. "We're through, we managed to get through, which is incredible," Haaland said at the time.

"So I couldn't care too much about that game now. They [France] are probably going to win against us, they're probably going to win the whole tournament." Following the group stage, Norway defeated Ivory Coast and then advanced past Brazil in the round of 16. Haaland scored in both matches, including two goals against Brazil.

"Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians. And to win against Brazil, and then go and play England in the quarterfinals in the World Cup, in the USA is quite special," Haaland said on Thursday. "And think if you watch the scenes back in Norway, this is not normal for Norway to be, so it's super special." The winner of Saturday's match between Norway and England in Miami will advance to the semifinals to face either Argentina or Switzerland.

Information from PA was used in this report.