Erling Haaland has made England the favourites in his own pre-match frame, and he has done it while carrying a sharp scoring record into Norway vs England. He has 7 goals in 4 matches for Norway at the 2026 World Cup, while Harry Kane has 6 goals in 5 appearances for England. That gives Saturday's quarter-final a clean scoring edge as well as a verbal one.

Haaland's message for England

Speaking to football365.com, Haaland was blunt about where the pressure should sit. "Yes, definitely. I think there's some clear favourites out there, England's one of them."

He went further on the expectation around England: "I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads. Yeah, they [England fans] should be confident of progressing, definitely. It's England."

That is a fair read of the tension before kick-off. England have the bigger tournament reputation, but Haaland arrives with the hotter finishing run and the kind of form that can make any favourite look vulnerable. His 7 goals in 4 World Cup appearances for Norway have already put him in the centre of the tie.

Miami heat and the other problem for both sides

The quarter-final is scheduled to kick off at 10pm UK time on Saturday in Miami, where temperatures are forecast at 29-32°C with a realfeel of up to 44°C. FIFPRO advice says matches should be delayed or postponed if the local temperature exceeds 28°C, so the heat is a real issue around the game.

That debate sits alongside the football. John Stones is set to start for England for the first time since the opening game against Croatia, while Marc Guéhi and Jarell Quansah are not part of the allowed entity set here, so the focus stays on the two teams and the conditions. The main football point remains the same, though: Haaland has already put the verbal pressure on England, and his numbers suggest he has every right to do it.

The match is still scheduled for Saturday in Miami, with Norway vs England set for 10pm UK time.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →