Norway vs England quarter-final: Haaland’s Vikings stand between England and the semi-finals
No one saw it. Norway came to the World Cup with little expectation and were expected to make up the numbers. Instead, they emerged as one of the defining stories of the tournament and are now one win away from the semi-finals as they prepare to face England in Miami.
Norwegian Air and British Airways exchange jokes on Instagram. American Airlines jumped into the comments. Norwegian Airlines even tries to get fans on a plane named after a Norwegian character. Mexico fans began copying Norway’s celebrations as if they had adopted the other team. it’s everywhere.
England are used to this stage. It is their eleventh World Cup quarter-final. Only Brazil and Germany have achieved more. Norway has never been here before. Under coach Stale Solbakken, they got through a tough group led by favorites France. Then they beat Ivory Coast. Then stunned five-time champions Brazil. They are now in the round of 16 for the first time ever.
A lot of Norway’s players face English teams twice a year in the Premier League, so it’s far from a mystery match. Tuchel’s England have had a rough ride for much of the tournament, but Sunday’s hard-fought win over Mexico in Mexico City is being hailed as one of England’s best performances in years. There is a genuine belief that this could be the year England get a second star for the shirt.
Tuchel built on the team spirit fostered by Gareth Southgate and the celebrations after the Mexico game showed a team that believes they can go top. Still, no one in the England camp is taking Norway lightly. Erling Haaland can change the game in an instant and everyone knows it. Norway also press hard and move the ball well. People have compared them to Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark team a few years ago, except Norway has a real superstar up front. This one should be close.
VIKING ROW
Every time Norway wins, the players and fans celebrate in the same way. It begins with the sound of a traditional Norwegian horn. Then there is drumming and everyone leans forward and pulls their arms back as if rowing a long boat and shouts the Norwegian word for the line “ro” over and over.
It started with a few thousand Norwegian fans in the stands. It has now spread far beyond the stadium, reaching places like Times Square in New York. The opposing fans also picked it up. It has become a signature moment of this World Cup, the kind of celebration that makes foreigners want to join in, even if they have no connection to Norway at all.
It took Norway 28 years to return to the World Cup after repeatedly missing out. Now that they’re here, they’re making sure everyone remembers it, one line of Vikings at a time.
TACTICAL BATTLE
England’s attack has more than one weapon. Haaland is a nightmare in his own right, but England have two stars pulling the strings. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were involved in all three goals against Mexico and Kane had previously scored twice against DR Congo. Norway was vulnerable to counter-attacks. Mexico took advantage of that weakness, and while Brazil didn’t punish it, Kane and Bellingham are unlikely to be so forgiving.
Neither team is safe. England have kept just two clean sheets all tournament and look more shaky defensively than under Southgate, a real problem for Haaland, who is waiting for his chance. Norway wasn’t much tighter at the back. Both teams have scored in each of their matches, scoring a total of 21 goals so far. Don’t expect a boring, low-scoring match here.
Martin Odegaard was also quietly one of the busiest players in the tournament. He ranks at the very top of the field in high-speed running, sprinting and total distance run. That work rate matches how involved he is in attack, popping up all over the pitch and linking play.
HAALAND vs KANE
If Norway believe they have a chance, it’s down to one man. Erling Haaland scored twice late on to beat Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16, sending Norway into their first ever World Cup quarter-finals. He scored seven goals in his first World Cup. He was the most talked about player of the summer, not only because of his goals but also because of how relaxed and funny he is off the pitch.
Saturday pits him against another world number nine in Harry Kane. For all the attention on the Vikings’ Norwegian streak, it’s Haaland’s finishing that has taken them so far. England know the stakes. Stop him and the game is likely to go their way. Give him even half a yard of space and the Norwegian “dark horse” label will very quickly cease to sound like a joke.
The meeting will also pit the two best scorers of the tournament against each other. Kane trails Haaland by one goal in the Golden Boot race, with the Norwegian striker on seven. Both are chasing leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, who have scored eight goals each.
Kane, who won the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot, refused to be drawn into comparisons with Haaland when asked who is the better striker ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final.
“It’s impossible for me to answer. First of all, I think we’re almost completely different players. I know we’re both senior strikers, but we play almost two different positions,” Kane told reporters on Friday.
“I see myself as a different player, even though I score the same goals. I like to maybe touch the ball a little more, but I can also play as a possible nine.”
However, the 32-year-old praised his opponent.
“Erling has been incredible. Physically he’s a machine, he’s a beast. His finishing is at the highest level and obviously his goalscoring record speaks for itself,” added Kane.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a player, as a fellow professional. Of course I hope he has a quiet day tomorrow, but I think his overall performances over the last few years speak for themselves. He’s a fantastic player.”
Despite the individual accolades within reach, Kane insists team success remains his priority.
“My main goal is to win the World Cup with England, not the Golden Boot,” he said. “But I also know I’m a goalscorer. I’m a number nine. So if I score goals, of course it helps the team.”
WHAT THEY SAID
Haaland has been reducing Norway’s chances throughout the week. “There are some clear favourites,” he said, naming England as one of them, and told reporters to “put all the pressure on the England boys.” Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane insisted his focus is on team success rather than individual honours. “My main goal is to win the World Cup with England, not the Golden Boot,” he said.
Solbakken struck a similarly cautious tone in his pre-match press conference. “If we’re not at our absolute best, England can handle it,” he said. The importance of the two star forwards was also recognized by the coach of Norway. “It’s Norway vs. England. But it’s no secret that Harry Kane is the No.1 match-winner for England and Erling is the No.1 match-winner for us,” Solbakken said.
England’s Nico O’Reilly, just 21, pointed to the team’s big-game experience as a source of calm. “We have a lot of players who have been in those situations,” he told reporters on Friday, crediting the senior players for helping the group “stay calm.”
Tuchel did not try to reinvent England’s identity. “I’m trying to build a platform for them to show their qualities,” he said, pointing to the “mentality, togetherness, competitiveness, fight and hunger” that his players already bring. When asked about the road ahead, with France and Spain waiting on the other side of the group, he said simply: “It’s getting harder and harder because the competition is getting better and better.”
NORWAY vs. ENGLAND: HEAD-TO-HEAD
Norway and England have never met before at the World Cup, but have played a total of twelve times. England won seven of those matches, Norway won two and three were drawn. Their last meeting was a friendly in 2014, which England won 1-0 at Wembley.
NORWAY vs ENGLAND: TEAM NEWS
England will be without defender Jarell Quansah, who was sent off against Mexico and is now suspended for two matches. This rules him out of this quarter-final and any eventual semi-final. Centre-back Marc Guehi has a slight hamstring strain and was due to undergo a scan on Friday, while Reece James remains a doubt with a hamstring problem of his own. Midfielder Jordan Henderson is out for the rest of the tournament with a broken wrist.
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Jacket, Bellingham, Gordon; Buzzard
Norway have no injury concerns on Saturday.
Norway (4-3-3): Newland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
NORWAY vs ENGLAND: TV & STREAMING GUIDE
Kick-off: 2:30 am IST (July 12)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Live Broadcast (India): ZEE5 App and Website
Telecast (India): DD Sports and Unite8 Sports
Football World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | football news
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
11 Jul 2026 13:30 IST