MIAMI — England’s 60-year wait for a second World Cup title will be front of mind when they take the field Saturday against Norway in a quarterfinal showdown in Miami, facing a squad that may be the underdog but is armed with one of football’s most dangerous forwards.
Erling Haaland has been a standout performer throughout the tournament, netting seven goals and pushing Norway into territory the country hasn’t seen in 28 years — their first World Cup in nearly three decades. His two-goal performance against Brazil in the round of 16 quickly became fodder for internet memes around the world.
England enters the match with more experience at this stage of major competitions, having advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond at three World Cups and two European Championships over the past eight years. But their only international championship remains the 1966 World Cup, won on home soil, and the pressure that builds at home every time England reaches the later rounds of a tournament is something Norway is eager to exploit.
Norway midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt said Thursday that his squad feels they have little to lose, and the 25-year-old Haaland — himself born in England — was more than happy to stoke the flames. Speaking to reporters with a smile, he said: “I think there are some clear favourites out there, England is one of them, so I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.”
Haaland is hardly a mystery to England’s players. After four years in the Premier League, he shares familiarity with five current and former club teammates who are now in the England squad. Defender John Stones, one of those players, acknowledged what Norway brings to the table. “We’ll treat them with the same respect we show every opponent,” Stones said. “We know what they’ve got, especially with Erling, but we’ve put in some great defensive performances so far.”
Norway’s run to the quarterfinals has been built on more than just Haaland and playmaker Martin Odegaard. The squad has developed a tight bond that has shown up in their on-field performances. “There’s very little negative energy in the group,” said midfielder Morten Thorsby. “We’ve been together a long time, and we have a very good time together.”
England has also shown resilience, most notably in a gutsy victory over co-hosts Mexico in the round of 16, a win achieved with only 10 men that many are calling England’s best World Cup performance. However, that match came at a cost — defender Jarell Quansah picked up a red card and faces a two-game suspension, leaving coach Thomas Tuchel with limited options at right back.
England still boasts captain Harry Kane, who has scored six goals in the tournament, along with midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has emerged as one of the competition’s brightest players. Thorstvedt acknowledged England’s collective strength but said individual moments will be the deciding factor. “They have a good collective,” he said. “But we have individual players who can decide the big moments, and I feel that’s what top-level football is. When two good teams meet, it often becomes an even match, and then it’s really those moments that decide it.”
