England captain Harry Kane called Erling Haaland a “machine” but said he was a completely different player from Norway’s “beast” No. 9, who they will face in the World Cup quarter-finals.
“I think we’re completely different players. I know we’re both strikers, but we’re almost two different positions,” Kane said in Friday’s pre-match press conference.
Haaland scored seven goals in his first four games at a major tournament, including a devastating double that eliminated Brazil, helping Norway reach the last eight for the first time.
Kane is just one goal behind Manchester City’s striker in this tournament, taking his total to 14 World Cup goals.
“Erling is unbelievable. His scoring record is a physical machine, a beast. His decision making is at the highest level and his scoring record speaks for itself.”
“Even though we score the same goals, I see myself as a different player. I would like to touch the ball a little more and be a little more involved in the play, but I can also probably play as an absolute number nine.”
“I don’t think we should compare ourselves. I have a lot of respect for him as a player and as a professional. Of course I hope he has a calm day tomorrow, but I think his overall performance is very good. He’s a great player.”
“A great World Cup for strikers”
Despite their impressive goalscoring record, Haaland and Kane are behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, who scored eight goals in the 2026 tournament, in the race for the Golden Boot.
Kane was crowned the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup, but England fell short of glory as they were eliminated by Croatia in the semi-finals.
Kane’s main goal remains after a 60-year wait for England to win a major tournament, but he is hoping to score a goal and bring glory to the Three Lions.
“I think it was a great World Cup in this respect in that all the top strikers, all the top goalscorers scored goals and influenced the game, which is not always the case in these major competitions,” added the Bayern Munich striker.
“It’s a great tournament and I’m ready to be at my best level as much as possible.
“My main goal is to win the World Cup more than the other Golden Boot player. But I also know that I’m a goalscorer and I’m number nine, so if I’m scoring goals I can obviously help the team.”
Kane roared in his final hustle to get over the line in what could have been three matches in eight days to make history.
“At the end of the day, until we win that trophy there’s always going to be that kind of buzz around England and the team, but we’re in a good place. We’re where we wanted to be when we met in our preparation camp six weeks ago,” he added.
“Now we are in the final eight days of the final push. We all need to be at the highest level to achieve our dreams.”
Vikings ready for another historic game
Meanwhile, Norway coach Starre Solbakken said the showdown between Haaland and Kane would go a long way in deciding the match.
“I think it’s Norway versus England, but I don’t think it’s a secret that Kane is the number one match winner for England and Haaland is the number one match winner for us,” Solbakken said at a pre-match press conference in Miami.
Norway participated in the major tournament for the first time in 26 years and exceeded expectations, but in particular, they won 2-1 against Brazil in the last 16 thanks to Haaland’s double in the second half.
“Every match has been the most important (in history) for Norwegian football, especially in the knockout stages, and this is the third time it has been the most important match,” Solbakken added.
“I think England are under more pressure than us, but we’re also putting pressure on our performance. When the game starts, when it’s 11-on-11, I don’t think the players think too much about the pressure.”
Norway’s progress is attracting attention both domestically and across the Atlantic in the United States.
The Vikings’ celebration of the line of fans became one of the tournament’s iconic images, while Haaland’s status as a world star soared thanks to his scoring ability on the pitch and his cheerful personality off it.
“I think all of Norway is looking forward to tomorrow. We’ve had some great nights at this World Cup so far, and that’s what brings the country together,” Solbakken said.
“Maybe this situation will never come back to Norway, because I think we can qualify further.[Now]any time we have the possibility to qualify for the European Championship or the World Cup, but it’s been 26 years since we last had it.”
