The World Cup quarter-final in Miami on Saturday evening will pit two of football’s deadliest finishers against each other – and the narrative around Harry Kane and Erling Haaland has shifted dramatically since Kane’s proposed move to Manchester City collapsed in August 2021. Haaland arrived the next summer and fired City to a Treble, while Kane remained at Tottenham without trophies. Now, after moving to Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane has won the Bundesliga twice and the European Golden Shoe. He has six goals at this tournament, while Haaland, in his first World Cup, has seven – including two in the last-16 win against Brazil.
Kane’s international journey began with his first England goal in March 2015; 85 goals later, he is the central figure of Thomas Tuchel’s side, as shown by his brace against DR Congo in the last 32 and a nerveless penalty against Mexico. But a World Cup quarter-final returns him to the lowest ebb of his career, when he missed a late penalty against France in Qatar. Now, with 120 England appearances – second only to Peter Shilton – he has a chance to erase that blot.
“Kane and Haaland face off in World Cup quarter-final as England meet Norway in Miami.”
Norway captain Martin Odegaard knows the threat all too well. “Obviously we know the quality they have,” he said. “Outstanding players, world-class players, playing for probably one of the best national teams in the world at the moment, so it's going to be a big test for us.” Odegaard plans to use his Premier League experience against former and current clubmates. “A lot of us play in England, so we know them quite well,” he added. “But it's about the whole team. We have to be prepared, we have to analyse the opponent like we always do and we have to have the belief in ourselves.”
Norway have revelled in their underdog status, qualifying second behind France then beating Ivory Coast and Brazil. “We've showed the whole world we're a good team,” Odegaard said. “Even though we're the underdogs again, let's see what happens.” Haaland, born in Leeds but fiercely Norwegian, has scored in 14 consecutive internationals, amassing 27 goals in that run – a staggering 62 in 51 matches at a rate of one every 71 minutes. The winner on Saturday will face either Argentina or Switzerland in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta.