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The Manchester City striker currently sits second in the Golden Boot standings with seven goals to his name, including the crucial brace that sent Brazil crashing out of the tournament.

Those goals were a reminder that stopping him is far more difficult than it appears. For his first, he embarrassed one of the world’s top defenders, Gabriel, before unleashing his second with stunning precision and power. Two very different finishes — and worryingly for England, neither resembled the typical goals Haaland usually scores.

Normally, his goals come from powerful runs, one-on-ones, or close-range tap-ins inside the six-yard box. Yet this time, it was a commanding header and a thunderous 20-yard strike.

England will be concerned to see Haaland at his absolute best in this World Cup — composed, ruthless, and surrounded by teammates who understand exactly how to get the most out of him.

There’s an unmistakable predatory instinct about him, reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling’s hypnotic snake Kaa in The Jungle Book — calm and entrancing until the moment he strikes, leaving his victims helpless before they even realise what’s happening.

If there is any advantage for England, it lies in the fact that three of their defenders play alongside Haaland at Manchester City. Marc Guéhi, Nico O’Reilly, and John Stones know his game inside out.

England also boast perhaps the only Premier League defender with a proven record of containing him — Newcastle’s Dan Burn. His impactful cameo against Mexico in that thrilling round-of-16 clash was a reminder of his quality, and his solid record against Haaland could prove decisive.

However, England are battling injuries and illness concerns. Declan Rice (illness) and Marc Guéhi (hamstring) have not trained since the Mexico match on Sunday.

Jarell Quansah has been handed a two-match suspension following his red card against Mexico, despite the FA’s protests about the VAR process — arguing the referee was only shown a still image and a slow-motion replay, not the incident at full speed.

As every footballer knows, slow-motion replays can make any tackle appear far worse. While few dispute the red card, a one-match ban would have seemed fairer. Unfortunately for England, they can’t rely on any off-field intervention to overturn FIFA’s decision.

Manager Thomas Tuchel once again faces selection dilemmas at right-back, with hopes pinned on Reece James recovering in time after missing the last three matches.

Even so, England head into the match as favourites — and rightly so. Harry Kane (six goals, one assist) and Jude Bellingham (four goals, one assist) are in scintillating form. Winger Anthony Gordon delivered his best performance in an England shirt against Mexico, and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford rediscovered his best form after a shaky spell. Confidence should be flowing through the camp after that monumental victory.

Pickford will set a new record as England’s most-capped World Cup player when he takes the field for his 18th appearance, surpassing legendary keeper Peter Shilton.

Norway, meanwhile, have opted to pile psychological pressure on their opponents in the build-up.

“There are some clear favourites, and England is one of them, so please put all the pressure on the English lads,” Haaland told reporters with a smile.

Norway have been one of the pleasant surprises of what has been an outstanding World Cup on the pitch. Once considered dark horses, they have exceeded expectations and will provide a stern test for England.

Disciplined, purposeful, and tactically sound, Norway have never reached these heights before. Their 12 goals so far, following a dominant qualifying campaign, reflect the confidence and stability within the squad.

Concerns of a sickness bug spreading through their camp were swiftly dismissed by team doctor Ola Sand. This came after coach Ståle Solbakken had expressed some worry about his players’ health following their victory over Brazil.

Sand confirmed that the squad was fully fit and suggested that the media rumours about illness were baseless speculation.

Historically, England have the upper hand with seven wins from their 12 previous meetings against Norway, but this will be their first encounter in a major tournament.

Both nations possess elite strikers but also show signs of defensive vulnerability. The midfield duel is likely to be decisive, while England’s wider attacking options could be the difference. Tuchel will expect his wingers to target Norway’s full-backs, widely seen as their weakest link — though England’s flanks could also be tested.

Haaland has scored in 14 consecutive international matches, so England’s mission is clear: stop him from making it 15, and their path to the semi-finals may open wide.