Norway striker Erling Haaland has insisted that all the pressure is on England ahead of the two nations' 2026 World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, playfully urging the media to pile as much expectation as possible onto Thomas Tuchel's side. The remarks are notable because Norway have reached the last eight for the first time and are competing at a World Cup for the first time since 1998, while England go in as one of the tournament favourites but carry the weight of not reaching a final since their 1966 triumph.

Haaland, 25, has been in outstanding form, scoring seven goals in four appearances — including a double that knocked out Brazil in the last 16 — leaving him one behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, and he has now scored in each of his past 14 competitive games for Norway. Norway finished second in Group I before beating Ivory Coast and Brazil, and Haaland admitted the run has surprised even him, having said last year that Norway had just a 0.5% chance of winning. The match takes place in Miami at 22:00 BST, and Haaland — who was born in Leeds while his father played in England — has also seen his popularity in the United States soar thanks to his goals and off-field antics, including a filmed cowboy-hat shopping trip that drew more than six million views.