"The atmosphere ahead of the big England-Norway showdown in Miami has taken a peculiar turn," the British embassy in Washington posted on social media X on 10/7. The post included a humorous video bearing the caption: "Harry Kane and Erling Haaland are haunting more than just defenders."
The video, filmed across both embassies, shows images of Norwegian striker Haaland hidden throughout the British diplomatic premises, appearing on coffee cups and phone booths. A staff member even wore a mask of Haaland's face, playfully chasing colleagues within the building.
Subsequently, striker Kane became a "haunting presence" at the Norwegian embassy, situated close to its British counterpart. A person wearing a Kane mask startled staff members, only to be "defeated" by a cardboard cutout of Haaland.
Humorous banter between the British and Norwegian embassies ahead of the World Cup quarter-final, in a video posted on 10/7. Video: British embassy in Washington
The quarter-final match between England and Norway is set for 11/7 local time (4 h on 12/7 Hanoi time) at Hard Rock stadium. Both Kane and Haaland, outstanding strikers for their teams, feature prominently among the top goal scorers at this year's World Cup.
British Ambassador Christian Turner and Norwegian Ambassador Anniken Huitfeldt shared tea on 9/7, building anticipation for the match.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joked with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store about "borrowing" Haaland for Canada's national team in the next World Cup.
"Operational coordination implies sharing personnel. Therefore, at the next World Cup, we would be grateful if you could lend us Erling Haaland," Carney stated.
Kane, 32, recently completed a career-best season, leading Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title. Haaland, 25, has also maintained an impressive scoring record for Manchester City in the English Premier League and with the Norwegian national team.
This World Cup, the Norwegian striker has scored 7 goals in 4 matches, while Kane has 6 goals.
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English striker Harry Kane (left) and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. Photo: AFP |
English striker Harry Kane (left) and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. Photo: AFP
Norway's head coach Stale Solbakken praised the talent of both attacking stars, yet stressed that teamwork remains crucial if Norway aims to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time, simultaneously ending England's hopes of repeating their 1966 World Cup triumph.
"This is a clash between Norway and England. However, it is no secret that Kane is England's match-deciding player, and Haaland plays a similar role for our team," Solbakken stated during a press conference.
By Huyen Le (Based on Hill, Independent)
