Norway striker Erling Haaland has declared England among the clear favourites to win the World Cup and called on journalists to heap pressure on them before Saturday’s quarter-final.
The Manchester City forward made the remarks with a smile, suggesting the English media should do their part in raising expectations around Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of the Miami showdown.
“I think there’s some clear favourites out there, England’s one of them,” said Haaland, who was born in Leeds during the summer his father Alf-Inge moved from Leeds United to Manchester City.
Speaking directly to journalists, he added: “I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.”
When asked whether England fans should feel confident about the tie, Haaland was equally candid, saying: “Yeah, they should be confident of progressing, definitely. It’s England.”
Norway had not appeared at a World Cup since 1998, making their run to the quarter-finals a remarkable achievement after finishing second in Group I before beating Ivory Coast and Brazil in the knockout rounds.
Haaland has scored in each of his last 14 competitive appearances for Norway, registering seven goals in four matches at this tournament alone, including a double that knocked Brazil out in the last 16.
“I didn’t expect it. To be honest, to be in the quarter-finals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising even for me,” the 25-year-old admitted.
“Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians and to win against Brazil and then go and play England in the quarter-finals in the World Cup in the USA is quite special.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of keeping his emotions in check during such a historic run for Norwegian football, saying: “It’s difficult to take everything in because you need to kind of just play the game like it’s a training session.”
Haaland also reflected on what the achievement means back home, adding: “I think if you watch the scenes back in Norway, this is not normal for Norway to be, so it’s super special.”
England, for their part, have reached at least the quarter-finals in the last three men’s World Cups but have not appeared in a final since lifting the trophy in 1966.
Away from the pitch, Haaland has become one of the breakout personalities of the entire tournament, charming American audiences with his humour and willingness to embrace local culture.
Just hours after scoring the winner against Ivory Coast in the last 32, he went shopping in Dallas for cowboy hats and boots, filming the trip for his YouTube channel, where the video racked up more than six million views in five days.
He has also attended the Stanley Cup final in North Carolina and led his Norway team-mates in the Viking row celebration after their victory over Brazil.
“I like to joke a little bit and I like to have fun,” he said, explaining his approach to tournament life.
“I think that’s a key for my daily life to joke around and of course train good, of course focus well and prepare well but you also need to joke around and you need to enjoy the moment.”
When Haaland featured on the cover of Time magazine last year, he estimated Norway had just a 0.5% chance of winning the World Cup, a figure that now feels considerably more open to debate.
“That’s what we’ve been doing now and just as we play in the World Cup, we have to enjoy it because nothing lasts forever. We have to just enjoy while we’re here.”
Norway and England meet in Miami on Saturday at 22:00 BST, with a place in the World Cup semi-finals on the line.
