Vieri: Haaland 'unbeatable in the box' as Norway face England

Christian Vieri, a former Italy striker with a storied World Cup career, has heaped praise on Erling Haaland, calling the Norway forward 'unbeatable in the box' as his team prepares to face England in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Haaland's Record-Breaking World Cup

Vieri once held the distinction of being the only European player to score at his first four World Cup appearances. That record now belongs to Haaland, who has scored in each of his four World Cup matches. Vieri expressed nothing but admiration for the player who surpassed him.

'For me, he's unstoppable,' Vieri said on the FIFA Podcast. 'He's just too big, too strong, and when he has space, he's quick and he's hungry, and that's the most important thing.'

Haaland has amassed an extraordinary 62 goals in just 54 international appearances, spearheading Norway to their best-ever World Cup performance. Their standout moment came in a 2-1 victory over Brazil.

England's Defensive Challenge

Vieri believes England have reason to be concerned. 'If Norway start getting the crosses in, the sooner they start crossing, it's going to be very hard for England because, for me, when they start crossing, he's unbeatable in the box,' he said.

'He's amazing. I haven't seen a striker like this in a long time. He's so big, huge, and he plays very, very simple. He's got an amazing shot, a lot of strength, so, like you can see he's a phenomenal striker. He scores one or two goals every game wherever he plays.'

Argentina's Resilience and Messi's Brilliance

Vieri, who scored five goals at France 1998 and four at Korea/Japan 2002, was not surprised by Norway's win over Brazil. However, he was taken aback by Argentina's Round of 16 tie against Egypt, where Lionel Messi and his teammates showed remarkable hunger to fight back.

'No, I didn't see that coming,' Vieri admitted. 'You think at some point the hunger will be gone a little bit, that the stomach will be full. But it's not.'

'The grit that Argentina show, the desire to win - there's also the capability to suffer through difficult moments against a fantastic Egyptian team. It is unbelievable. And then, obviously, what Messi is doing - we're all shaking our heads. It's not human in a certain way.'

About the FIFA Podcast

The FIFA Podcast takes fans to the heart of FIFA World Cup 2026 with exclusive access, expert analysis and stories from across Canada, Mexico and the USA. Hosted by Christian Vieri and Mikael Silvestre, the show features FIFA legends, current stars and celebrity guests reflecting on the tournament's biggest moments. New episodes are available throughout the tournament on all major podcast platforms.