Erling Haaland has lit the touchpaper under England ahead of their World Cup quarter-final showdown with Norway on Saturday. The Manchester City striker, born in Leeds to former Leeds United player Alf-Inge, reckons it's time to pile on the pressure - literally every single ounce of it. And he's got a point: after all, England are one of the clear favourites to lift the trophy and their fans have every right to be confident of progressing.
Haaland has been the driving force behind Norway's stunning run, netting seven goals in four appearances - including that thrilling double against Brazil. He's defied his own expectations, having previously pegged Norway's chances at just 0.5%. The fact they've made it this far is a testament to Haaland's firepower and Norway's resilience. And let's not forget the significance: their last World Cup quarter-final appearance was in 1998!
England, on the other hand, have been here before - three times in a row, in fact. But as anyone who's followed their World Cup campaign knows, the weight of expectation can be a heavy burden to bear. And Haaland seems to think so too, urging his team to go for it and take advantage of England's supposed vulnerability.
The big match is set for 22:00 BST in Miami on Saturday, with Haaland looking to add to his impressive scoring streak - he's netted in each of Norway's last 14 competitive games. And let's not forget the entertainment value: Haaland's personality and off-field antics have captured the hearts of fans across America.
Norway's Manchester City teammate Nico O'Reilly has played down Haaland's comments, but England will know they've got their work cut out for them against a team that refuses to be written off. 'They're a good team as well,' O'Reilly admitted. And when asked about Haaland's personal surprise at Norway's success, the Norwegian striker couldn't help but beam with pride: 'To be honest, to be in the quarter-finals with Norway in the World Cup is quite surprising even for me.'