Top News

“Things are getting weird ahead of the big England-Norway match in Miami,” the British Embassy in Washington posted on X on July 10, alongside a video featuring the caption: “Defenders are not the only ones haunted by Kane and Haaland.”

In the video, filmed inside both embassies, photos of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland are hidden throughout the British Embassy, appearing on coffee mugs, inside the signature red telephone booth and in other unexpected places.

At one point, a staff member wearing a Haaland mask chases colleagues around the building.

The second half of the video shifts to the Norwegian Embassy, located a short distance from the British mission, where England captain Harry Kane becomes the “haunting” figure.

A person wearing a Kane mask startles embassy staff before ultimately being chased after by a life-size cardboard cutout of Haaland.

The exchange comes ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal between England and Norway, scheduled for July 11 local time at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

British Ambassador Christian Turner and Norwegian Ambassador Anniken Huitfeldt had shared tea on July 9 to build excitement ahead of the match.

Kane and Haaland, the star forwards for their respective teams, are among the tournament’s leading scorers.

Kane, 32, is coming off one of the most successful seasons of his career after helping Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title. Haaland, 25, has maintained his prolific scoring form for Manchester City in the Premier League and for Norway.

At this year’s World Cup, Haaland has scored seven goals in four matches, only after Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s eight, while Kane has netted six.

Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken praised both strikers but stressed that teamwork, rather than individual brilliance, would determine whether Norway could reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time and end England’s hopes of repeating their 1966 triumph.

“I think it’s Norway vs. England. But I don’t think it’s a secret that Kane is match-leader No. 1 for England and Haaland is match-leader No. 1 for us,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Friday, as cited by APafter his team went through its final walk-through before perhaps the biggest match in the nation’s football history.

Haaland himself described the upcoming game as “definitely special.”

“I think, for me, it’s super special because I play in England and I’m born in England and I’ll be playing against (Manchester City) teammates and everything,” he said as quoted by AP.

Kane refused to be drawn into comparisons with Haaland when asked by reporters on Friday, according to Reuters.

“Impossible one for me to answer. First of all, I think we’re completely different players almost. I know we’re ⁠both senior strikers, but we play almost two different positions,” the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner said, Reuters reported.

“Erling has been incredible. Physically, he’s a machine, he’s a beast. His finishing is at the highest level and obviously his goal scoring record speaks for itself,” Kane added.