World Cup 2026: Erling Haaland urges 'pressure' on England before quarter-final
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Norway striker Erling Haaland considers England one of the favourites to win the World Cup and encourages the media to increase pressure on the English team ahead of their quarter-final match on Saturday.
- Norway, absent from the World Cup since 1998, have reached the quarter-finals for the first time after finishing second in their group and defeating Ivory Coast and Brazil in knockout rounds.
- Haaland, born in Leeds, has scored in 14 consecutive competitive games for Norway and has netted seven goals in four World Cup matches, including a crucial double against Brazil.
- Despite initially giving Norway a 0.5% chance to win the tournament, Haaland acknowledges the team's surprising progress and describes their World Cup journey as "quite special."
- Haaland's popularity in the US has grown due to his on-field performance and off-field personality, highlighted by a viral video of him shopping for cowboy hats and boots in Dallas after scoring the winning goal against Ivory Coast.
