'One hell of a beating!' - England warned 'best in the world' Erling Haaland can overpower Thomas Tuchel's men in World Cup quarter-final

Riise believes Haaland is the key man as Norway prepare to face England in a high-stakes World Cup quarter-final. Speaking on behalf of BestBettingSites, the former Liverpool full-back labelled the Man City star the best striker in world football and tipped him to lead Norway's challenge.

The Norway legend also admitted he usually supports England when Norway are absent from major tournaments after spending a decade in English football. This time, however, his loyalties lie firmly with his homeland as he hopes Norway can produce a memorable victory over Tuchel's side.

Riise praised Haaland's qualities both on and off the pitch, insisting no other centre-forward currently matches the Norwegian.

"When it comes to what a striker needs to do, yes, Erling Haaland is the best striker in the world," he stated. "I love his goals, his power, and how professional he is. But I also love the way he acts as a human being – he's always smiling and enjoying it.

"He can fight with opponents like Gabriel on the pitch, but he has so much respect for them at the same time. He's not being an idiot out there; he just does his job during the game and shows total respect afterward. There are many good forwards around, but he is the best striker in the world at the moment."

Riise also made clear where his support lies ahead of Saturday's meeting. He added: "I'm always an England fan in every tournament because Norway hasn't been there. But this time, there's no doubt... Hopefully, we can give England one hell of a beating."

The former Norway international also admitted his expectations had changed during the tournament and believes his country can now win the World Cup if they beat the Three Lions.

"Yes, I do think that Norway can win the World Cup if they win this game against England. Why not?" Riise said. "Before the World Cup started, I never thought we could win it; I thought a quarterfinal spot would be our absolute maximum. But the way they've played, the way they've carried themselves, and the way they've attacked every single game to get to where they are now is unbelievable.

"Yes, I believe we can win it. I still think France are the massive favorites for the whole tournament and I can't see anybody beating them at the moment, but we can absolutely win. We are in the last eight, so everything is possible. The only area where we might fall slightly short in the final stages is our back four, as I'm not entirely sure the defense is strong enough to go all the way. But if we have a 100% perfect day in these last three games, we can win it."

Norway's quarter-final against England could define their tournament. For Haaland, the match also offers another chance to strengthen his Golden Boot challenge while leading his nation into the final four.