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Haaland targets England
Erling Haaland said Norway’s World Cup quarter-final against England is “a special game, definitely,” adding that it is “super special” because he plays in England and was “born in England.”
““a special game, definitely,””
Ahead of the match in Miami, Haaland told journalists “I think there are some clear favourites out there. I thinkEnglandis one of them,” and urged the media to put “every single pressure on the English lads.”
Norway reached the final eight for the first time since 1998 after finishing second in Group I and then beating Ivory Coast and Brazil in the knockout stage, setting up the Saturday meeting with England.
England, who have reached at least the quarter-finals in the past three men’s World Cups, will play for a place in the semi-finals after their run to the last eight.
Haaland also said he “didn’t expect it” to be in the quarter-finals with Norway, describing the moment as “quite surprising even for me.”
Mind games and media
Haaland’s comments framed the matchup as pressure on Thomas Tuchel’s England, with the BBC reporting he said: “Yes, definitely.”
The BBC also quoted Haaland calling on journalists to push England, saying: “I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.”
England’s response came through Nico O’Reilly, who told the BBC that Haaland’s remarks could be “mind games” while insisting “they’re a good team as well.”
O’Reilly said the quarter-final will be “a good game and good battle,” and added that “It’s not just certain players we have to worry about - they have shown it through the whole tournament.”
With Haaland’s seven goals in four appearances highlighted by the BBC, O’Reilly said “Erling is Erling,” and warned that “They need to get him the ball.”
What’s at stake next
The quarter-final is set for Saturday in Miami, where Haaland said the match will be played at “22:00 BST,” and where he will face the nation of his birth.
“when they meet in Miami on Saturday (22:00 BST)”
The BBC noted Norway’s run to the last eight after a Group I second-place finish and knockout wins over Ivory Coast and Brazil, while England’s history includes reaching the final since winning the competition in 1966.
Haaland’s tournament form—“seven goals in four appearances”—has helped Norway reach the final eight, and he said “It’s difficult to take everything in because you need to just play the game like it’s a training session.”
The Guardian reported Haaland “ramped up the World Cup mind games” by saying England are the team under pressure, and quoted him telling the media: “I think there are some clear favourites out there. England are one of them.”
With England seeking to avoid being the side under pressure, Haaland said “I think everyone should stay humble but they should be confident of progressing, definitely,” as Norway aim to extend their first appearance on this stage since 1998.