Erling Haaland ya kira England a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin mafi ƙarfi na yin gasa ta Kofin Duniya — kuma, da murmushi, ya gayyaci 'yan jarida su sanya dukkan matsin lamba mai yiwuwa a kan 'yan wasan Ingilishi kafin wasan kusa da na ƙarshe na ranar Asabar a Foxborough (22:00 BST).

Mai buga ƙwallon ƙafa na Manchester City, yana magana a taron manema labarai kafin wasan, ya ce: "Ina tsammanin akwai wasu masu ra'ayin nasara, England na ɗaya daga cikinsu. Ina tsammanin ku duka kuna kamata ku sanya dukkan matsin lamba a kan 'yan wasan Ingilishi."

Hanyar da ta ba da mamaki ta Norway

Norway ba ta shiga gasar Kofin Duniya tun shekarar 1998, amma ta yi nasarar shiga cikin manyan takwas na bugu na 2026. Ta fito ta biyu a Ƙungiya I kafin ta fitar da Ivory Coast sannan kuma, abin mamaki, Brazil a zagaye na 16.

Haaland, wanda ke da shekaru 25, ya ci kwallo a kowane ɗayan wasannin ƙwararrunsa 14 na baya-bayan nan a Norway. Jimlarsa a wannan gasar ta kai kwallaye bakwai a wasanni huɗu, ciki har da sau biyu wanda ya fitar da Brazil. A ranar Asabar, zai fuskanci ƙasar da aka haife shi — an haife shi a Leeds yayin da mahaifinsa yake wasa a Leeds United.

"Ban yi tsammanin haka ba. Da gaskiya, kasancewa a wasan kusa da na ƙarshe tare da Norway a Kofin Duniya ya ba ni mamaki ma," Haaland ya yarda. "Buga wasa da Brazil ya kasance kamar hauka a gare mu 'yan Norway, kuma cin Brazil sannan mu je mu buga England a wasan kusa da na ƙarshe na Kofin Duniya a Amurka abu ne na musamman sosai."

Sa'ad da Haaland ya bayyana a bangon mujallar Time bara, ya kiyasta cewa Norway tana da damar kashi 0.5 cikin ɗari na lashe gasar. Gaskiyar lamarin, ya yarda, ta wuce dukkan tsammanin: "Idan ka kalli zane-zane a Norway, wannan ba al'ada ba ce ga Norway, don haka yana da musamman sosai."

Soyayyar Amurka

Haaland ya zama ɗaya daga cikin shahararrun mutanen gasar a Amurka, shuhurarsa ta ƙaru ta hanyar abubuwan da ya yi a wajen filin wasa fiye da yadda kwallayensa suke ba da gudummawa. Awanni kadan bayan ya ci kwallo mai nasara akan Ivory Coast a zagaye na 32, ya tafi Dallas don siyan hular cowboy da takalmi, yana rubuta tafiyar a tashar YouTube dinsa. Bidiyon ya samu sama da miliyan shida na kallo a kwanaki biyar.

"Ina son 'yan Amurka — ina ganin suna da ban dariya sosai. Suna da jin daɗi, ina son yadda suke," Haaland ya ce. "A kan dukkan abubuwa da suka shafi Kofin Duniya a nan har yanzu an sami al'ajabi. Daga wasanni zuwa filayen wasa, komai ya kasance mai ban sha'awa. Filin horarwa da muke amfani da shi ya kasance mai kyau, don haka ina farin ciki sosai kuma ya burge ni."

England, a nata ɓangaren, ta kai aƙalla wasan kusa da na ƙarshe a kowane ɗayan manyan wasannin Kofin Duniya na maza na shekarun da suka gabata, ko da yake ba ta kai wasan ƙarshe ba tun ta lashe gasar a 1966. Haaland da Norway sun dage su ci gaba da ƙara wa wannan jira tsawo.