England forward Morgan Rogers has backed captain Harry Kane to prevail over Norway's Erling Haaland when the two star strikers face off in the World Cup quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday. The match pits two of the tournament's leading scorers against each other, with both vying for the Golden Boot alongside Lionel Messi and France's Kylian Mbappe.
Rogers Praises Haaland's Brilliance
Aston Villa's Rogers acknowledged that Manchester City's Haaland, who has scored seven goals so far, is almost impossible to stop. "Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland? I'm not sure they have, but we're going to try," the 23-year-old said at England's Kansas City base camp on Wednesday. "He's such an unbelievable player. The things he does, the numbers he puts up, you're just in awe of how good he is, and the level he's at."
Haaland has netted in each of his past 14 competitive outings for Norway, totaling 27 goals, and is expected to pose a significant threat to England's defense.
Rogers Confident in Kane
Despite Haaland's form, Rogers expressed confidence that England captain Kane, who is one goal behind Haaland in the Golden Boot race, would come out on top. "They're the two, for me, that are at the top of their game in this tournament, and have been two of the best players," Rogers said. "It's a spectacle, I suppose, for the fans and it's going to be a good one to see who comes out on top. I hope it's Harry, and I'm sure it will be. I think we've got that confidence in him. He's playing at probably the highest level that he's ever played at, which is madness to say, because of what he's been doing for so many years."
Bellingham's Unlimited Potential
Rogers also praised Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, 23, who has been another standout performer for England at the 2026 World Cup. Rogers said there is no limit to what Bellingham can achieve. "You forget how young he is, that's how good he's been but I still think there's a long way to go and he'll probably say the same as well -- the drive and the hunger he's got in the game for what he wants to achieve," he said. "He knows that he's got things to work on, things to improve on like we all do and I think that's what's so exciting about being an England fan, an England player, being his friend. I think it's just how far he can go. No one really knows and kind of having no cap on what he can achieve really."
Focus on the Task Ahead
Rogers, who came on as a late substitute in England's thrilling last-16 win against Mexico, admitted it is impossible not to think ahead to the final as the tournament reaches its closing stages. "We're all aligned, we're all on the same page of attacking each game in the best way possible really," he said. "So I think it's difficult because we're all human and we're all excited as we should be but at the same time we know we've got a job to do and it's still a long way away from that yet."
