Erling Haaland made an unusual request to the media ahead of the “very special” game with England.
Norway is all set to face England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11, at Miami Stadium.
Haaland's ‘special’ request for England vs Morocco
The match will be extra special for Norway’s star player Haaland not only because it will be Løvene (The Lions) first run to the World Cup quarterfinals but also because the 25-year-old was born in England.
Talking to media ahead of the match, Haaland acknowledged that the chances of Norway winning the World Cup are “still really low,” while jokingly asking the press to put pressure on the English side.
He told reporters, “I think there are some clear favorites out there, England’s one of them. I think all of you should put every single ounce of pressure on the English lads. It’s a special game, definitely. I think for me it’s super special, because I play in England and I was born in England, and you also play against teammates and everything.”
“It’s a funny game, and it’s going to be nice. I think everyone should stay humble, they should be confident of progressing definitely. It's England,” the Manchester City striker added.
Haaland also opened up about the “crazy” win over Brazil that sent them into the quarterfinals against England.
He said, “Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians, and to win against Brazil and then go and play England in the quarter-finals in the World Cup in the USA is quite special.”
Erling Haaland's rap song tops Spotify
According to ESPN, ahead of Norway vs. England, Haaland has scored big in the pop charts after a song he first recorded 10 years ago has proven to be a viral summer hit after resurfacing during the tournament.
The Norway striker was 15 when he first posted his rap magnum opus, Kygo Jo, on YouTube as part of a collective called Flow Kingz, a group he formed alongside fellow under-17 international teammates Erik Botheim and Erik Tobias Sandberg.
While the original video has now surpassed 21 million views on YouTube, Kygo Jo has been given a new lease of life after Norwegian DJ Kygo remixed the Flow Kingz track into an up-to-date dance banger, which has hit the top of the Spotify charts in Norway.
