Haaland calls Norway's World Cup chances 'really low' ahead of England quarterfinal

Erling Haaland insists Norway remain heavy underdogs at the 2026 World Cup, even after his seven goals in four games fired them into a quarterfinal against England at Miami Stadium on Saturday, 11 July.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the match, the Manchester City striker kept his assessment characteristically blunt. “Really low, still,” he said when asked about Norway’s chances of winning the tournament. He then turned his attention to the opposition with a wry smile: “I think there’s some clear favourites out there, England’s one of them. I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.”

It is not the first time Haaland has adopted this tone. After Norway edged Senegal 3-2 in the group stage, he was similarly dismissive about their prospects against France in the round of 16. “They’re probably going to win against us, they’re probably going to win the whole tournament,” he said at the time — before Norway went on to beat the French and advance.

The self-deprecation sits in curious contrast to what Norway have actually delivered. The country had never won a knockout-stage match before this tournament and had not appeared at a World Cup since 1998. They have now won back-to-back knockout games, defeating Ivory Coast and Brazil to reach the last eight — a result that would have seemed implausible before a ball was kicked.

Haaland sat out the final group-stage match, yet still leads the tournament’s scoring charts with seven goals from four appearances. His presence has transformed a side that, historically, would not be expected to trouble the final eight of a World Cup.

Whether his repeated downplaying of Norway’s chances reflects genuine pragmatism, a calculated attempt to deflect pressure onto opponents, or some mixture of both remains an open question. What is beyond doubt is that, so far, every team Haaland has written off has ended up on the losing side.