Erling Haaland labels England favorites ahead of World Cup quarterfinal

Erling Haaland labels England favorites ahead of World Cup quarterfinal

Erling Haaland has attempted to shift the burden of expectation onto England as Norway prepares for its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance. Despite leading a historic run for his national team, the Manchester City striker insisted that Norway's chances of winning the trophy remain really low, still.

The matchup is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at Miami Stadium. Haaland, who was born in Leeds while his father, Alfie, played in the Premier League, described the encounter as super special due to his English birth and the fact that he plays in England. He noted the unusual nature of facing club teammates, specifically mentioning John Stones and Marc Guehi, whom he has been messing with for many years.

Haaland has adopted a pragmatic, often pessimistic outlook throughout the tournament. Before a group-stage match against France—which France won 4-1 while Haaland rested—he claimed he couldn't care too much about the result and predicted France would win the entire tournament. Now, facing Thomas Tuchel's England side, he told reporters to put every single pressure on the English lads, identifying England as one of the clear favorites.

The pressure dynamic is a key theme for the striker. After Norway defeated Brazil in the Round of 16, Haaland told FOX Sports that his team faced zero pressure because the world expected Brazil to win, while 5.5 million Norwegians would celebrate regardless of the outcome. In contrast, he believes the expectation to advance rests firmly with the English side.

Norway's path to the quarterfinals has been unprecedented. Having not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, the team reached this stage by securing its first-ever knockout-stage victory against Côte d'Ivoire and following it with a 2-1 win over Brazil. The victory over Brazil was headlined by two goals from Haaland, though he recorded only 30 touches and an expected goals (xG) of 0.39 during the match. According to the BBC, Haaland is currently tied for the Golden Boot lead with seven goals, sharing the top spot with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

The Norwegian squad, described as a golden generation, is led by Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard, who is tied for third in assists with three. Haaland's fitness has been a cornerstone of this success. He attributed his physical state to the preparation methods used at Manchester City and under Stale Solbakken, noting that he knows his body and has not suffered many injuries.

Statistically, Haaland has become a focal point for Norway's historic run. He has scored 62 goals in 54 senior internationals, averaging a goal every 71 minutes. Furthermore, he has scored in each of his last 14 competitive appearances for his country, totaling 27 goals in that span. His last competitive game without a goal was against Austria in October 2024.

England enters the tie as the fourth-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, while Norway sits at 19th. The Three Lions bring recent experience as runners-up in the last two European Championships and previous quarterfinal appearances in Qatar. However, Norway's current momentum is evidenced by the Viking Row celebrations involving fans and players after their win over Brazil.

The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday, where they will face either Switzerland or Lionel Messi and Argentina.