Konsa backs himself to silence Haaland as England face Norway in World Cup quarter-final

Ezri Konsa has declared himself ready to handle Erling Haaland when England meet Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, drawing on a personal record against the striker that gives him genuine grounds for confidence.

With Marc Guehi managing hamstring tightness, Konsa — the only England defender to start every match at this tournament — is set to be the man tasked with keeping Haaland quiet. The Aston Villa centre-back has good reason to feel prepared: Haaland has failed to score in his last four appearances against Villa, with Konsa on the winning side in three of those games.

“Look, it is going to be a test — I think every game is a test,” Konsa told BBC Sport. “We all know Haaland’s qualities and what he can do in front of goal, but I have full belief, full confidence in the defence. As long as we stay 100 per cent focused, I’m sure we’ll be all right.”

Asked whether he would be seeking advice from teammates such as Jude Bellingham, John Stones, or Nico O’Reilly before the last-eight showdown, the 28-year-old Europa League winner was unequivocal. “No, I haven’t, not at all. I think I’ve come up against Haaland quite a few times in my career, so I know what he’s about, I know what I’m about — so full focus on me and what I can do in the game.”

Konsa was also quick to warn that England cannot afford to fixate on one opponent. Haaland has already scored seven goals at this World Cup, but Norway carry threats across the pitch. “The left winger, I think it’s Nusa, he seems pretty good. They’ve also got Odegaard, who I’m quite familiar with, and they’ve got that tall right-winger Sorloth and Sander Berge of Fulham. We know they’ve got a lot of quality as well, so we know we’re going to have to be on our A game to overcome them.”

For all the focus on Haaland, Konsa was keen to remind Norway they have their own problems to solve — namely Harry Kane, who has scored a remarkable 73 goals for club and country this season and captains a side that has grown in confidence with every passing round.

Thomas Tuchel’s England will need that collective belief when they step out at Hard Rock Stadium for a quarter-final that pits two of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking forces against each other.