England captain Harry Kane described Erling Haaland as a machine but stressed that he and the Norwegian striker are entirely different players as the sides prepare to meet in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final. Haaland has scored seven goals in his first four matches at the tournament, including a brace that eliminated Brazil, taking Norway to the last eight for the first time. Kane sits one goal behind the Manchester City forward and has reached 14 World Cup goals overall. Kane told reporters the pair occupy almost separate positions on the pitch despite both being strikers. He praised Haaland’s physical power, finishing ability and scoring record. Kane views himself as more involved in possession and link-up play while still able to operate as a classic number nine. He voiced respect for Haaland as both player and professional, hoping for a quiet game from him. Haaland and Kane trail Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, both on eight goals, in the Golden Boot race. Kane won the award in 2018 yet England exited in the semi-finals. Ending England’s long wait for a major title remains his chief goal. He noted the strong scoring output from leading forwards at this tournament and said winning the World Cup matters more than another individual prize. Kane has spearheaded a generation that has reached recent finals and semi-finals under Gareth Southgate. He called for maximum effort over the final matches to make history.
