The secret to stopping Erling Haaland? England have handed over a golden plan ahead of their World Cup quarter-final showdown in Norway

England handed over secret formula to stop Erling Haaland ahead of Norway’s World Cup match/ Picture: AP England’s biggest threat ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Norway is undoubtedly Erling Haaland himself. The Manchester City forward has emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest threats, scoring seven goals in four games to finish just one goal behind Golden Boot leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. But former Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes England’s biggest task may not be to stop Haaland himself, but to shut down the source that made him so deadly.Norway arrived at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on the back of a historic campaign, reaching their first World Cup quarter-final since 1998 with Haaland at the helm. Still, Friedel insists England’s tactical priority should lie elsewhere, with Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard identified as a player capable of dictating everything in Norway’s possession.

Friedel explains why England must focus on Ødegaard

Haaland’s numbers have been outstanding throughout the tournament. He scored twice against Iraq in Norway’s opening group stage match, followed that up against Senegal, added one against Ivory Coast and struck twice again in a memorable 2-1 round of 16 victory over Brazil.Despite this remarkable scoring output, Friedel believes that the Norwegian power forward cannot be neutralized simply by assigning other defenders to him.“You can’t just stop Erling Haaland – he doesn’t really touch him that much in the game – it’s about limiting the service for him,” Friedel said SPORTbible.“If you allow their wing-backs and full-backs to get into crossing positions, even the best defenders in the world will struggle to stop Haaland’s diving and get to the ball in front of his marker.”

Norway’s Erling Haaland (9) shoots for his second goal during the World Cup 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Instead, the former Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Tottenham goalkeeper believes the England midfielder must completely prevent the ball from getting into dangerous areas.“You have to stop the ball coming to Haaland. Even so, Haaland can create a chance out of nothing, he’s that good at it.”

Ødegaard remains the creative heart of Norway

For Friedel, the player England should be most interested in is Martin Ødegaard.Although the Arsenal captain is yet to score at the 2026 World Cup, his impact has been huge. Primarily operating as an attacking midfielder and deep-lying playmaker, Ødegaard has registered three assists in Norway’s four matches while controlling the pace of almost every attack.

Norway’s Martin Oedegaard (10) reacts after battling for the ball with Brazil’s Neymar (10) during the World Cup round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway on Sunday, July 5, 2026 in East Rutherford, NJ near New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Against Brazil in the Round of 16, he completed all but one of his 53 passes in the first half, underscoring his ability to dictate possession and progress through Norway’s midfield.“Martin Ødegaard is the player in the Norwegian team who gets the most touches, so you have to limit Ødegaard’s involvement,” explained Friedel.“But they’re not one-dimensional — they’ve got Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb … a lot of threats.The Haaland-Ødegaard partnership has become a defining feature of Norway’s revival. Fierce Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal have transformed into one of the most effective attacking combinations in international football while representing their country.While Haaland provides the finishing power, Ødegaard supplies the vision, ball movement and creativity that allow Norway to consistently create high-quality chances.Norway coach Ståle Solbakken recently described his captain as indispensable.“He is invaluable to our team,” Solbakken said.“He was never a number 10 with Norway. He was always a two-way player, influential in all phases.”“He’s always working the hardest, covering ground and sprinting. He’s the trigger. And he decides if we’re going to play a 4-1-4-1 defense or if we’re going to play a 4-4-2.”

England also possess their own midfield talisman

While Norway’s hopes rest on the Haaland-Ødegaard combination, England will once again turn to Jude Bellingham to direct proceedings.Friedel believes the Real Madrid midfielder has already developed into one of the elite players in world football and compares various aspects of his game with some of the best midfielders of the modern era.

England’s Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates with his teammates after scoring his second goal during the World Cup Round of 16 match between Mexico and England in Mexico City, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

“Jude Bellingham is one of the best I’ve ever seen. He reminds me of Zinedine Zidane in his movements. Bellingham is also very good technically in tight spaces.”“Jude has the ability to play in the eight and ten ten, tracks back, can attack, is good in the air in both boxes and can also make decisive defensive maneuvers when needed.”“He covers so much ground – I can compare him to Steve Gerrard in that way.“We’ll see how Bellingham’s career develops, but he’s on a trajectory to lift as many trophies as Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes or Gerrard.”As England prepare for one of the toughest tests of the tournament, Friedel’s message is straightforward. Haaland’s goals may dominate the headlines, but if Thomas Tuchel’s side can deny Ødegaard the time and space to orchestrate Norway’s attacks, they may have already found the most effective recipe to reach the World Cup semi-finals.