Haaland pressure prank? England smiles and calls it mind games
Erling Haaland tried to pile on the pressure on England ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final, insisting the Three Lions have a lot to lose while Norway only have faith. But England are refusing to bite, with defender Nico O’Reilly dismissing the forward’s comments as little more than “mind games”.
Manchester City striker was the face of Norway’s amazing World Cup run, scoring seven goals in four games to fire his country into their first quarter-final since 1998. Haaland, fresh from knocking out Brazil, is now eyeing another heavyweight scalp.
And he believes England should feel the weight of expectation.
“Yes, for sure,” Haaland replied when asked if all the pressure was on England.
“I think there are a few clear favourites, England being one of them.
The 25-year-old even urged the media to start a review on Thomas Tuchel’s side.
“I think you should all put as much pressure as you can on the English boys.
“They should be confident of progressing, absolutely. It’s England.
England, meanwhile, insist they will not be distracted ahead of one of their biggest tests of the tournament.
ENGLAND REMOVE HAALAND’S ‘MIND GAMES’
Nico O’Reilly, who is expected to go head-to-head with his Manchester City team-mate, smiled when told of Haaland’s comments.
“It can be mind games,” O’Reilly said.
“But look, they’re a good team too. They’ve shown that throughout the tournament. We don’t just have to worry about certain players – they’re good as a team. It’s going to be a good match and a good battle.”
The England defender knows better than most what Haaland is capable of.
“Erling is Erling,” he said.
“We all know what he’s like. He can score and he’s dangerous in the box. He’s a real threat. They need to get him the ball. There’s a lot going into it.”
England arrive in Miami with the weight of expectation after reaching at least the quarter-finals in each of the last three World Cups. Norway, on the other hand, have already beaten almost all predictions by reaching the last eight for the first time in almost three decades.
HAALAND ENJOYS THE NORWEGIAN FAIRY TALE RUN
Haaland admitted that even he didn’t imagine Norway would make it this far.
“I didn’t expect it. To be honest, to be in the quarter-finals with Norway at the World Cup is quite surprising even for me,” he said.
“Playing against Brazil was a bit crazy for us Norwegians and to win against Brazil and then go and play England in the quarter-finals at the World Cup in the USA is pretty special.”
The striker, who was born in Leeds while his father Alf-Inge Haaland played in England, has become one of the stars of the tournament both on and off the pitch. Haaland scored 7 goals in this FIFA World Cup. (Photo: Reuters)
Hours after helping Norway clear Ivory Coast, he was spotted shopping for cowboy hats and boots in Dallas, a video that quickly racked up millions of views. He also embraced the World Cup atmosphere in the United States, attended the Stanley Cup Final and led Norway’s now famous Viking celebrations after defeating Brazil.
“I like to joke a little bit and I like to have fun,” Haaland said.
“I think that’s the key to my everyday life… you also need to joke around and enjoy the moment.
“That’s what we’ve been doing now and just as we’re playing in the World Cup, we have to enjoy it because nothing lasts forever.”
The smiles may continue off the court, but once the whistle blows in Miami, there will be much more than mind games separating one of the tournament’s favorites and one of its biggest surprise packages. England are aiming for their first World Cup title since 1966, while Norway are dreaming of extending the biggest run in their football history.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
Jul 10, 2026 06:04 IST