Is Holand the trend? "Kane will score in the quarterfinals"... The Viking storm's 'greatest crisis'

*This content was translated by AI.

Top strikers representing the world of soccer are set to clash head-on in the quarterfinals. While "monster striker" Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway) has garnered immense attention at this World Cup, the analysis market held a different view. They assessed Harry Kane's (Bayern Munich/England), labeled as a "Veteran," as having a higher probability of scoring than Haaland.

Norway and England will face off in the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup quarterfinals on the 12th (Korean time) at Miami Stadium in Florida, USA.

Under coach Ståle Solbakken, Norway advanced from the group stage by defeating Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 in the round of 32. In the round of 16, they even upset "eternal favorites" Brazil with a 2-1 victory, creating a major surprise. This achievement allowed Norway to surpass their 1998 France tournament round of 16 performance and set a new record for their best-ever World Cup result.

Norway entered this tournament as a "golden generation" featuring players active in Europe's top leagues. At the center of it all is undoubtedly Haaland. Haaland has scored seven goals in the North American World Cup, placing him third in the scoring standings. He is closely chasing the joint leaders with eight goals: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina) and Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid/France).

Haaland's goal-scoring prowess was terrifying. Although he rested during the third group stage match, he scored multiple goals in both the first and second group matches. He also netted the winning goal in the round of 32 and recorded multiple goals against Brazil in the round of 16, emerging as a hero for Norway.

Alongside Norway's fierce "Viking storm," Haaland has risen as one of the tournament's top stars. Photoshopped images and videos featuring Haaland have gained massive popularity, and even the brand of hair tie he uses has attracted attention. In an extreme case, a song jokingly sung by Haaland with his teammates during his U-17 national team days reached number one on Norway's music charts.

However, the analysis market remained calm. According to OddsChecker, in the "Anytime Goalscorer" odds for the Norway-England match, Kane was priced at 21/20, while Haaland was set at 5/4. Lower odds indicate a smaller payout but reflect a higher perceived probability of that outcome occurring. This means Haaland's scoring chances were assessed as slightly lower than Kane's in this quarterfinal clash.

Kane's form is also formidable. The "Veteran" striker scored three goals during the group stage, leading England to top their group. His performance was particularly striking in the round of 32 match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. At that time, England trailed 0-1 until the 30th minute of the second half, but Kane scored multiple goals to lead a dramatic comeback victory. In the round of 16 against host nation Mexico, Kane also contributed one goal and one assist, spearheading England's advance to the quarterfinals.

One reason for Kane's advantage lies in England's superior team strength. Under coach Thomas Tuchel, England is rated higher than Norway in terms of squad depth and control of the game flow. Consequently, Kane is more likely to secure scoring opportunities.

Actual match forecasts also lean toward England. Opta's supercomputer predicted a 50.4% probability for an English victory. The probability for a Norwegian win was 25.1%, with a 24.6% chance of the match going into extra time. Through Reuters, Kane emphasized, "My goal is not to be the top scorer but to lead England to World Cup glory."

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*This content was translated by AI.