Five pundits have had their say on who is the better striker out of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, with only one selecting the England captain. Both forwards have been prolific at the World Cup, with Haaland currently leading his rival by a single goal. The pair will face off in the quarter-finals on Saturday as England battle Norway for a place in the final four.
Haaland edges Kane in goals and pundit votes
The Manchester City striker was on target as Norway dumped out Brazil last Sunday, scoring a brace in the last 10 minutes of normal time to put Norway 2-0 up before Neymar Jr grabbed a consolation penalty. Meanwhile, Kane scored once in England's 3-2 thriller with Mexico as the 10 men battled the fiery Azteca atmosphere. The strikers have been leading from the front as captains and top scorers for their country.
Haaland and Kane have also had successful domestic seasons. Kane scored 61 goals and assisted seven times as he won the domestic treble with Bayern Munich. Haaland missed out on the Premier League title with City but secured the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, racking up 38 goals and nine assists.
Jamie Carragher: Haaland is the greatest goalscorer
Speaking on Sky Sports Super Sunday last October, Carragher said: "I think we're watching the greatest goalscorer to ever play in English football. There's a difference for me between a great centre-forward or striker and a goalscorer. I think what we're witnessing now is something we've never seen before in our game."
Sam Allardyce: I would pick Haaland over Kane
On the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce said: "I would pick Erling Haaland over Harry Kane. Haaland has no right scoring as many goals as he does for Norway, who are generally the underdogs. He seems to have a knack for being able to score through defenders’ legs, like he did for his second goal against Brazil."
Glenn Hoddle: Kane is the only one who can do it all
Hoddle was the sole pundit to select Kane, telling TNT Sports: "I agree with them because it is not only his goalscoring abilities, it is what he is, he is a No. 10 as well. He can come off and hit passes. Erling Haaland, you can say Mbappe, there are some wonderful players still out there, but they have not got the all-round ability that Kane has got."
Gus Poyet: Haaland will break all records
Speaking to Midnite, Poyet said: "They're different players, one is a top goalscorer, Haaland will always be there in the box, waiting for a cross, mistake, pass, like a proper killer. Kane is a great football player, but I think Haaland is clear, you just know he's going to score even if he touches the ball five times in a game."
Kris Boyd: Haaland's finishing is unmatched
Boyd wrote in The Sun: "I made a career out of scoring goals. Plenty of folk said I didn’t do much else. But that’s why I rate Erling Haaland the best in the business. In terms of an all-round player, Kane wins all day long. But if we’re talking about finishing, Haaland has taken it to a new level."
