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Before Erling Haaland and Norway played Brazil in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Striking Viking was asked about his team’s chances of beating the five-time world champions.
“Uh… very thin,” Haaland said.
The next day, Norway stunned the five-time champions 2-1 at New York New Jersey Stadium, with Haaland scoring both goals.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
With Norway now in the semi-finals against an England team that nearly fell apart in its round of 16 showdown against Mexico, does Haaland like Norway’s chances of winning the tournament more than before?
“It’s still very low,” Haaland told reporters.
But there are reasons to believe that Haaland’s timid approach is intentional.
“I think there are some clear favorites, England are one of them. I think all of you should put as much pressure on the English boys as possible,” Haaland said.
Haaland’s mentality has been constant throughout the tournament. Ahead of Norway’s final group match against France, where Haaland was rested on the bench and France won 4-1, he expressed a relaxed outlook.
“We’ve passed, we managed to pass, which is incredible,” Haaland said at the time. “So now I couldn’t care much about that game. They [France] “They’ll probably beat us, they’ll probably win the whole tournament.”
After the group stage, Norway defeated Ivory Coast and then beat Brazil in the round of 16. Haaland scored in both games, including two goals against Brazil.
“Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians. And winning against Brazil and then playing against England in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in the United States is pretty special,” Haaland said Thursday. “And think that if you see the scenes in Norway, this is not normal in Norway, so it’s super special.”
The winner of Saturday’s match between Norway and England in Miami will advance to the semifinals to face either Argentina or Switzerland.
