Norway’s Erling Haaland enjoys ‘special’ 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final with England

Erling Haaland said facing his native England in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is extra special as he aims to extend Norway’s historic run to the last four.

In his first major international tournament, the Manchester City striker has propelled his country to the last eight by scoring seven times in four appearances, including a memorable double to beat Brazil in the last 16.

Haaland was born in England when his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing for Leeds at the time, and he spent the past four seasons at City, where he has become the Premier League’s poster child.

«It’s a special game, yeah, for sure. I think for me it’s super special because I play in England and I was born in England, and you also play against teammates and stuff. It’s a funny game, and it’s going to be fun,» Haaland told reporters in Miami.

In their first World Cup in 28 years, Norway exceeded all expectations thanks to Haaland’s killer instinct in front of goal.

«I honestly didn’t expect to be in the quarter-finals with Norway at the World Cup, even for me it’s quite surprising,» he said.

«Playing against Brazil was quite crazy for us Norwegians, and to win against Brazil and then play against England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in the US is very special. If you look at the scenes in Norway, this is not normal for Norway, so it is super special,» he added.

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England, on the other hand, is in the quarter-finals for the third time in a row, but has not won a major tournament for sixty years.

Haaland was keen to keep the pressure on the Three Lions, who were considered among the favorites ahead of the tournament.

All the top four seeds are still on course to reach the last four as England could face defending champions Argentina, while France and Spain could face each other in the other semi-final.

«I think there are some clear favourites; England is one of them. I think you all have to put every bit of pressure on the England boys,» said Haaland.

Haaland’s exploits have also made him a star in the United States in recent weeks. In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, the 25-year-old’s jovial personality has also gained fans.

Just hours after scoring the last-32 winner against Ivory Coast, Haaland dressed up as a cowboy in Dallas, posting a video in a cowboy hat and boots that went viral.

«It’s a good thing because I love the Americans, I think they’re quite hilarious too. They’re funny, so I like the way they are,» he said of his newfound fame in the US.

«I think it’s just good. Honestly, everything that has happened with the World Cup here so far has been great: from the matches to the stadiums, everything has been great. The training ground where we train was great, so I’m super happy and it was impressive,» he said.

Published on July 9, 2026