Norwegian coach Stale Solbakken has said Erling Haaland is unique as his side prepare for a World Cup quarter-final showdown with England on Saturday, where the big striker will face defenders he regularly faces in the Premier League.
Haaland has been in sensational form in his first World Cup, Norway’s first final since 1998, appearing in the right place at the right time to score seven goals so far that have taken his team to the last eight of the tournament.
«All great players have the need to show themselves. When they are not involved in the game, they often try to leave the field to say: ‘here I am’. Erling is indifferent to that,» Solbakken told reporters.
«He knows what he is best at, he knows what he can help the team with, and that was the case on Sunday… there has never been a footballer who plays like this.»
The 58-year-old coach was referring to Haaland’s late brace to give his side a sensational 2-1 win over Brazil that sent them through to the quarter-finals, with Norwegian fans now rushing across the Atlantic Ocean to watch the match.
READ ALSO | Egyptian national coach Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of cronyism
Airlines have put extra tickets on sale to Florida, with seats filling up almost as quickly as they are made available.
“They go as fast as Haaland walks,” Oystein Schmidt, spokesperson for airline SAS, told Norwegian TV2. (Reporting by Philip O’Connor, Editing by Toby Davis)
Published on July 8, 2026
