Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer says Norway are 'as ready as we possibly can be' ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against England. The Bees man has featured in all but one match at the tournament in North America, helping Norway reach the last eight after a remarkable run which has included a 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16.
What happened?
Ajer, who is now in Miami with his international team-mates ahead of the clash with the Three Lions, reflected on his World Cup journey so far, playing alongside Erling Haaland, and the challenge of facing Harry Kane this weekend.
Why it matters for Brentford
"The World Cup so far has been more than I could ever dream of," Ajer said. "The whole country has been super excited for it, and I've been preparing for it for several months; the way we've been playing in every single game has been fantastic.
What comes next?
"Everyone's really buzzing for the game, but it's a very similar mentality to Brentford: we're humble but confident. We know that we're playing one of the big favourites to win the whole tournament and we need to top perform once again to have a chance to advance."
Ajer's World Cup journey
Ajer, who has been a key player for Norway in the World Cup, has been impressed by the team's progress so far. "The Brazil win... it's not possible to describe the feeling I had and the team had after it. They're a fantastic country with so many top players, so being able to control the game in many aspects was surreal."
Ajer's thoughts on facing England
Ajer is well aware of the threat posed by England captain Harry Kane. "Kane is one of the best strikers in the world," the Norwegian centre-back stated. "The season he has had at Bayern Munich and the tournament he is having show that you have to be well prepared.
Ajer's message to Brentford fans
"We are fully, fully ready and only thinking about England on Saturday," Ajer said. "Again, similarly to Brentford, we take one game at a time. When you play these big nations, you know that if you look too far ahead, you lose the next game."
Ajer's World Cup stats
Ajer has featured in all but one match at the tournament in North America, helping Norway reach the last eight after a remarkable run which has included a 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16. Norway's hopes of another famous World Cup win will once again be spearheaded by Haaland, who has been central to their run to the quarter-finals, scoring seven goals in four appearances so far.
Ajer's message to the fans
"We know that we're playing one of the big favourites to win the whole tournament and we need to top perform once again to have a chance to advance," Ajer said. "Everyone's really buzzing for the game, but it's a very similar mentality to Brentford: we're humble but confident."
Ajer's final thoughts
Ajer is confident that Norway can cause an upset against England. "We are fully, fully ready and only thinking about England on Saturday," Ajer said. "Again, similarly to Brentford, we take one game at a time. When you play these big nations, you know that if you look too far ahead, you lose the next game.
