'Put Pressure on the English Lads': Erling Haaland Piles Pressure on England Before Norway Clash

Erling Haaland has declared England 'one of the clear favourites' for the World Cup and told reporters to 'put pressure on the English lads' ahead of Norway's quarter-final with Thomas Tuchel's side in the United States.

'I think there are some clear favourites out there,' he told journalists after Norway's training session. 'I think England is one of them, so I think every single one of you should put pressure on the English lads!'

England's route to the semi-finals had appeared likely to run into Brazil until Norway stunned Carlo Ancelotti's team with a 2-1 win, blowing the draw open and giving Tuchel's men what many supporters regard as a far kinder tie on paper.

Instead of facing Vinícius Júnior and company, England now take on a Norway side who, by Haaland's own admission, did not expect to be anywhere near this stage of the tournament.

Haaland's Mind Games Put Focus On England

Asked by news reporter Gary Cotterill whether England fans should stay humble rather than get carried away by a supposedly easier tie, Haaland struck a careful balance: 'I think everyone should stay humble, but they should be confident of progressing, definitely.'

The comments came from a forward who knows English football and its media up close. By pushing the idea that England are expected to win, Haaland both shields his own young Norway team and shifts scrutiny back onto Tuchel's players, who are used to intense attention at major tournaments.

The Football Association has not commented publicly on the remarks, though sources around the England camp say Tuchel wants his squad focused on performance rather than external noise.

Born In Leeds, Now Facing His Club Team-Mates

Haaland admitted the tie feels different to anything he has experienced with Norway before. 'It is a special game, definitely,' he said.

'I think for me it is super special because I play in England and I am born in England and you also play against team-mates and everything. So it is a bit, not weird, but it is a funny game and it is going to be nice.'

The 23-year-old was born in Leeds while his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing in the Premier League.

That backstory, combined with his status as one of the most feared strikers in English club football, gives the meeting a slightly surreal edge. He will be lining up against domestic colleagues he plays alongside week in, week out.

'I Definitely Did Not Expect This'

Even reaching the quarter-finals has caught Haaland off guard. 'I definitely did not expect this at all,' he said. 'I said it plenty of times before, even before the Brazil game I did not expect us to be in the quarter finals with Norway in the World Cup. It is quite surprising even for me.'

He also spoke about the thrill of simply being at the tournament. 'Just to be able to play in the World Cup is just an honour and a huge goal for me in my career. To be able to be here and play on the biggest stage with my Norwegian friends against the best teams in the world is really special.'

Norway's win over Brazil, he added, felt 'kind of crazy' for a country more used to watching from the sidelines than knocking out global powers.

'To win against Brazil and to go and play England in the quarter finals in the World Cup in the USA is quite special. I think if you watch the scenes back in Norway you can see it is not normal for Norway.'