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Erling Haaland has appeared several times in this World Cup for downplaying Norway’s odds and taking a relatively pragmatic view of his side, even as Norway takes on England in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11 at Miami Stadium.
Coming into this World Cup, Norway had never won a knockout match and was making its first World Cup appearance since 1998. But thanks to Haaland, who scored a ridiculous seven goals in four games after sitting out the final group match, Norway is now in the quarterfinals after winning two knockout matches against Ivory Coast and Brazil.
It’s a remarkable achievement for a team that historically wouldn’t be expected to be among the final eight. But having a forward who is among the best players in the world has raised Norway’s level and changed the conversation around the team.
Still, Haaland believes winning the World Cup remains a mountain to climb, even after Norway reached the quarterfinals.
Speaking to reporters about Norway’s chances of winning the tournament, Haaland kept it simple.
“It’s still very low,” Haaland said.
“I think there are some clear favorites, England is one of them,” Haaland said while laughing. “I think all of you should put as much pressure as possible on the English lads.”
This is not the first time Haaland has been pessimistic about Norway’s chances. After Norway defeated Senegal 3-2 in a pivotal group stage matchup, Haaland was asked about facing France and downplayed Norway’s chances of getting through that one as well.
“We’ve passed, we managed to pass, which is incredible,” Haaland said. “So now I couldn’t care much about that match. They’ll probably beat us, they’ll probably win the whole tournament.”
The question is whether Haaland really believes what he says, whether it is mind games he is trying to play, or whether it could be a combination of both.
Haaland understands that Norway historically has not been one of the strongest teams in world football, but in this World Cup, with him at the helm, Norway has had a fabulous tournament up to this point.
