Norway's star striker Erling Haaland has stated that the pressure is entirely on England heading into their World Cup quarter-final clash. Haaland, who was born in Leeds, England, while his father Alf-Inge played for Manchester City, will face the nation of his birth on Saturday.
Norway has not participated in a World Cup since 1998 but has advanced to the final eight for the first time. Their journey to this stage has included victories over Ivory Coast and Brazil in the knockout rounds. England, meanwhile, has a history of reaching at least the quarter-finals in recent World Cups, though their last final appearance was in 1966.
"Yes, definitely. I think there's some clear favorites out there, England's one of them," Haaland said when asked if the pressure was on England. He humorously suggested the media should place as much pressure as possible on manager Thomas Tuchel's squad.
"I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads. Yeah, they [England fans] should be confident of progressing, definitely. It's England," he added.
Haaland, 25, has been in formidable scoring form, netting in his last 14 competitive matches for Norway. He has scored seven goals in four appearances during the tournament, including a brace that eliminated Brazil in the round of 16. Despite this success, Haaland admitted reaching the quarter-finals was surprising even to him.
"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," he stated. "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."
Haaland's engaging personality and off-field activities have contributed to his rising popularity in the United States. Videos of him shopping for cowboy hats and boots in Dallas after a match, which he shared on his YouTube channel, garnered millions of views. He also attended the Stanley Cup final in North Carolina.
"It's a good thing because I like the Americans, I think they are kind of hilarious as well. They are funny, so I like the way they are," Haaland commented. "I think it's just good. Honestly on every single thing with the World Cup so far here it has been amazing. From the games to the stadiums, everything has been amazing."
Haaland emphasized the importance of enjoying the moment, stating, "I like to joke a little bit and I like to have fun. I think that's a key to 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. 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."