Gary Neville says England enter their World Cup match against Norway as favourites, but he urges caution about Norway’s leading forward, Erling Haaland. Speaking after England’s recent last-16 victory over Mexico, Neville points to the momentum and euphoria around the team while stressing that Haaland can change games even against stronger opposition. He describes Haaland as a potentially dangerous attacker and emphasizes that England should not assume their status as favourites will automatically translate into control or ease in the match.
Separately, Soccer News reports that Haaland himself raises the stakes ahead of the showdown, asserting that England should be viewed as “clear favourites” to reach the semi-finals. The contrasting comments frame both sides as acknowledging England’s better chances on paper while focusing attention on Haaland as the key factor Norway could use to challenge that expectation. Overall, the coverage centers on the matchup’s expectation gap: England are expected to win, but Norway’s attacking threat—particularly Haaland—remains the main area of caution.
