Kane and Haaland face off in World Cup quarter-final as England eye glory

The quarter-finals of the World Cup began on Saturday with France facing Morocco in a match already mired in controversy – but the spotlight is firmly on Sunday’s showdown between England and Norway, where Harry Kane and Erling Haaland will go head to head. France head coach Didier Deschamps played down fury over an all-Argentinian officiating team, saying: "I trust the referees. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee." The fixture at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, kicks off at 9pm UK time and will be shown on ITV.

For England, the prospect of a World Cup win has already prompted hints of a bank holiday. Asked whether he would back one, Sir Keir Starmer replied: "I don't want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final." England fans were seen soaking up the Miami sun ahead of Saturday's clash.

“Kane and Haaland face off as England meet Norway in World Cup quarter-final; Starmer hints at bank holiday if England win.”

Kane and Haaland are two of the tournament’s top scorers – Haaland has seven goals and Kane six – and their careers have been intertwined since Kane’s proposed move to Manchester City broke down in 2021. Haaland arrived the next summer and fired City to a Treble. Kane, who was then captain of Tottenham, moved to Bayern Munich in 2023 and has since won the Bundesliga twice and the European Golden Shoe. At this World Cup, Kane scored two against DR Congo and a penalty against Mexico. Haaland has netted the match winner in all four of his appearances, including twice against Brazil in the last 16, and was rested against France.

Kane has 85 goals for England since his debut and now has 120 appearances, leapfrogging Wayne Rooney into second behind Peter Shilton. But his international career hit a low when he missed a late penalty against France at the 2022 World Cup. Haaland, meanwhile, has scored in 14 straight games for Norway, totalling 27 goals in that run. Overall, he has 62 goals in 51 matches for his country.

Norway’s preparations for the quarter-final have been disrupted by a sickness bug, forcing the team to move out of their Miami hotel. England will hope to exploit those problems when the two sides meet on Saturday.