Норвеги болон Английн шигшээ багууд шөвгийн наймд тулгарна

Erling Haaland has seven goals in four World Cup matches.

Harry Kane has six goals in five World Cup matches.

It’s hard not to bill this quarter-final today (Saturday) as a clash between two superstar strikers, given their huge influence on Norway and England’s progress so far.

Only Argentina’s Lionel Messi (eight goals from five games) and Kylian Mbappe of France (seven from six) have more goals in this tournament, and it will be fascinating to see how the two defences deal with the many threats posed by Haaland and Kane at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

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There is plenty of quality throughout the teams, though. Haaland is likely to be going up against Manchester City team-mates Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly (plus John Stones, who recently left the club), while in midfield two Arsenal players are set to go head to head — Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

England have not lifted the World Cup trophy since 1966, while Norway have never won it. In fact, Norway had forgotten what it was even like to play at a World Cup. Their most recent appearance at the tournament before this one was in 1998, when Odegaard and Haaland were not even born.

We take a closer look at this game and where it might be decided…

What’s the key info I need to know?

Round: World Cup quarter-final
World rankings: England (FIFA ranking: 4th) vs Norway (31st)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Date: Saturday, July 11
Kick-off: 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10pm BST

How did England reach the quarter-finals?

England finished top of Group L with seven points after two victories and a draw. Their campaign began with a 4-2 win against Croatia before being held 0-0 by Ghana and beating Panama 2-0.

They then came from behind to beat DR Congo 2-1 in the round of 32. Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes, heading home the equaliser before striking the winner in the 86th minute.

Next, they beat co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in the last 16 in their own backyard at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, despite playing much of the second half with 10 men following Jarell Quansah’s red card. Jude Bellingham got their first two goals and Kane converted a penalty as England held off a late fightback.

Amelie Claydon

How did Norway reach the quarter-finals?

Norway finished second in Group I with six points. Stale Solbakken’s side opened the tournament with a 4-1 win against Iraq before Erling Haaland scored twice in a 3-2 defeat of Senegal. Those results meant Norway had already qualified for the knockout stages, so rested 10 players as they were beaten 4-1 by France in their final group match.

Refreshed, they beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring before Ivory Coast equalised, but Haaland struck an 86th-minute winner.

Haaland was the hero again in the last 16, scoring twice late on as the Norwegians stunned five-time World Cup winners Brazil 2-1. Neymar converted a consolation stoppage-time penalty with the last kick of the game as Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Amelie Claydon

How to watch on TV

United States: 5pm ET / 2pm PT: Fox (English), Telemundo / Peacock (Spanish)
Canada: 5pm ET / 2pm PT: TSN / RDS
Mexico: 3pm CST: TelevisaUnivision / TV Azteca, with streaming on ViX
United Kingdom: 10pm BST: ITV1 and ITVX

What should we expect from Norway?

Not many will have foreseen Norway’s commanding victory over Brazil, but the way Solbakken managed that game is testament to both his tactical intelligence and their squad depth.

Norway have great power throughout the front line, something they looked to leverage in the early stages against Brazil as they pressed high with Haaland, and frequently went long to towering striker Alexander Sorloth, who was deployed on the flanks. As the match went on, realising that his team had the upper hand in possession, Solbakken introduced technical wingers from the bench in Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup to better dictate the flow of play.

“Antonio Nusa and Sorloth (the men those two replaced for the second half) did a good job, but it was a tactical decision,” Solbakken said after the game. “The two players we brought on have different strengths. We wanted to play down the sides more, in smaller spaces, keeping the ball and creating triangles.

“That allowed us to keep the ball, have long attacks and play and play until they tired. That’s when we had to go for the kill.”

Erling Haaland and his team-mates celebrate a stunning win against Brazil (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Such ability to adapt to a game means that England can’t afford to rest on their laurels.

Off the pitch, Norway have dismissed reports that the squad have been struggling with a sickness bug as exaggerated. If everyone is fit, goalkeeper Orjan Nyland will retain his place after a heroic performance against Brazil, protected by strong centre-backs Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjorn Heggem. Their full-backs will look to get forward, while Sander Berge will anchor the midfield alongside the adventurous Patrick Berg and the creative presence of Odegaard.

The big question surrounds who will start on the flanks. If Norway set up to challenge England for possession, Bobb and Schjelderup could come in, but Nusa will take some moving from the left, given his star quality.

Thom Harris

What should we expect from England?

The headline with England’s form at the World Cup so far has been their two best players, Kane and Jude Bellingham. They have been brilliant so far, Kane scoring six goals and Bellingham four, and both were utterly integral to England’s progress to a third straight World Cup quarter-final.

Even in games when England have struggled, those two have delivered, Bellingham breaking the deadlock against Panama, Kane single-handedly turning the game against DR Congo in the last 32. In the last 16, Bellingham put England 2-0 up on Mexico in the first half, stunning a raucous home crowd, and a Kane penalty made it 3-1, giving them the platform to cling on for the win with 10 men.

Aged 22, Jude Bellingham is playing in the fourth major tournament of his career (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

That game saw England show a side of themselves we had not yet seen. They were a player short for most of the second half, including 11 minutes of added time, defending in a 5-3-1 and heading away a barrage of Mexico crosses to progress to the last eight.

It was very different from the way that England intended to play when they arrived at this World Cup. Coach Thomas Tuchel wanted to see an intense Premier League-style game, and while there were glimpses of that in the second half of the opening group match against Croatia, it has not always been that way. Key players Rice and Bukayo Saka have not always been at full fitness, while England have not had a settled, consistent situation at right-back, starting Reece James, Quansah and Djed Spence there so far.

There had been concerns over the availability of some important players for the Norway match, but Guehi, Rice and James all trained on Friday, with Tuchel saying they are available for selection.

The question is whether we will see more of the intense England in the heat of South Florida, or maybe the more patient version that prevailed in Mexico City.

But the story of England so far in this tournament is that, however they play, Kane and Bellingham can deliver a result in the end.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Who is the star player for each team?

This quarter-final is set to see two of the best strikers in world football going head-to-head.

No player across Europe has scored more than Kane’s 96 league goals since he joined Bayern Munich in summer 2023. Haaland has averaged almost a goal a game across the past seven years. Both are well in the hunt for the World Cup’s Golden Boot award, having scored crucial winning goals for their countries almost every step of the way.

Bellingham deserves a mention, too; his tireless running in-behind defences has created space for Kane all through the tournament, while his colossal defensive efforts have helped to maintain balance across the team. Also, Norway’s Berg is going under the radar, despite similarly industrious performances in midfield.

But this looks like being a battle of the No 9s, and either could decide it.

Thom Harris

Is there any history in this match-up?

It has been 33 years since England and Norway last met in a competitive match. But they had two hugely significant games when Norway, England and the Netherlands were drawn in the same qualification group for the United States-hosted 1994 World Cup. Only the top two teams in each European group qualified for the tournament.

England drew their first of 10 qualifiers, 1-1, with Norway at Wembley in October 1992, and by the time they travelled to Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium for the return fixture in June the following year, they were under huge pressure. England folded, Norway won 2-0, and ended up topping the group and going to their first World Cup since 1938.

England manager Graham Taylor’s standing with the English media and public never recovered. To a certain generation of England fans, that defeat, the failure to qualify for the World Cup it led to and its immortalisation in TV documentary An Impossible Job are central parts of the national team’s story.

There was also some unwelcome history (if you’re English) made at the Ullevaal 12 years before that, when the two met in qualifying for the 1982 World Cup.

The home side surprisingly won 2-1, prompting Norwegian radio commentator Bjorge Lillelien to deliver one of the most famous lines in the history of football broadcasting, listing various famous English figures and finishing by saying, “(Then UK prime minister) Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me! I have a message for you… your boys took a hell of a beating!”

England did at least still qualify for the 1982 World Cup. Norway finished bottom of the group.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Where will the game be won and lost?

A moment of quality from Kane, Bellingham or Haaland could win this one at any moment. Having said that, it will be interesting to see how England deal with Norway’s physicality up top.

Against Brazil, Solbakken’s side worked hard to leave their physically intimidating centre-forwards in one-on-one battles for long passes in behind. The 6ft 5in (196cm) Sorloth towered over 5ft 8in full-back Douglas Santos whenever he drifted over to the left, while team-mates worked hard to drag defenders out of position and leave Haaland being marked by a single centre-back.

As we can see from goalkeeper Nyland’s pass map below, nearly every long ball out to Sorloth’s flank found its target. It was more evenly contested when he aimed for Haaland, but the way the striker shoved central defenders Gabriel and Marquinhos to the floor, tearing after each and every long ball aimed towards him, will be a concern for the likes of Stones, Guehi and Ezri Konsa if Norway can work to leave them exposed.

That said, England will be confident that they can establish possession, force Norway back into their deep 4-5-1 shape and make inroads via the quality of Saka and Anthony Gordon out wide.

Once again, the movements of Bellingham to attack the spaces between the centre-backs and the full-backs will be crucial if Kane is to thrive.

Thom Harris

Who do our experts think will win?

Phil Hay: Norway 1, England 2. Haaland to score (because doesn’t he always?) but England to stick to the plan, Kane to get in amongst the goals too (because doesn’t he always?) and Tuchel’s side to narrowly prevail. I fully expect to see England in next Sunday’s final.

Jack Pitt-Brooke: Norway 1, England 2. I just think England are marginally better physically, and they will have enough in the bank to grind Norway down, even if it takes extra time. It will be tight, but I think they have a clear edge.

Stuart James: Norway 1, England 2. The most fascinating quarter-final tie for me, given that Switzerland denied us an ​all-South American affair between Argentina​ and Colombia. ​For the record, I didn’t write that 2-1 scoreline above with any conviction. Norway could just as easily come out on top. England will need to find a way to keep Haaland quiet — easier said than done. ​But whether they do that or not, Kane and Bellingham are bang in form. If any of the quarter-finals is to go to penalties, my instinct would be that it’s this one.

Felipe Cardenas: Norway 1, England 2. I will remind our readers that I predicted an English World Cup win in December. There have been times when that prediction was teetering but England has risen to the occasion. The win over Mexico was a massive test of will and mentality. Defeating Haaland and the high-flying Norwegians will take a near-perfect performance, but I say England gets it done.

Seb Stafford-Bloor: Norway 1, England 3. The stories of illness in the Norway camp this week do not bode well for them; the South Florida heat is exacting at the best of times. But then again, Rice is said to be suffering from illness, too. Tactically, Norway seem to struggle with wide forwards, and direct, skilful players have had joy against them at this World Cup. England are well stocked in that department, so that should hopefully prove an advantage. But England have to be very careful. Haaland’s threat is obvious and Odegaard, Nusa and Sorloth pose clear challenges individually, but they are also a well-oiled attacking group, who have scored goals artfully throughout this competition.

How might they line up?

England Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Norway Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Berg; Nusa, Haaland, Sorloth.

Tell me one thing about Norway that’s going to make me look clever to my friends

Though his tournament has been broken up by a thigh injury early in the group stage, right-back Julian Ryerson can be a real threat if he is allowed to get forward. Only three players across Europe’s top five domestic leagues racked up more than his 15 assists for Borussia Dortmund last season, while only one player — Inter’s Federico Dimarco — completed more crosses into the opposition penalty area.

As we can see from his chance map below, Ryerson frequently creates from inswinging corners into the six-yard box. He also likes to flash the ball across goal with low, driven deliveries from the right.

Tell me one thing about England that’s going to make me look clever to my friends

There have been 43 headed goals in this tournament, but Kane is the only player who has managed more than one.

You wouldn’t know it from the way he has dispatched his three headed goals, against Croatia, Panama and DR Congo, but that’s not really his trademark finish. Despite scoring 36 times in the Bundesliga last season, only three were with his head. He’s matched that tally in just three weeks here at the World Cup.

Thom Harris

Who is the referee?

Clement Turpin will take charge of his fourth match at this tournament, and his second involving England.

He and Tuchel have history. The French official sent the German coach to the stands during Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final exit by Manchester City in 2023 and Tuchel later gave his refereeing performance a “Grade E”.

Listed by FIFA as an international referee since 2010, Turpin is regularly seen officiating in the Champions League. He was appointed for that competition’s 2022 final, having taken charge of the Europa League final a year earlier.

Turpin awarded England a penalty against Croatia in their first group-stage match of this tournament, and after Kane missed the initial kick, ordered for it to be retaken, as a consequence of both Josko Gvardiol’s encroachment and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic standing in front of his goal line.

Leon Imber

Who will the winners play?

The victors in Miami will face whoever wins the other quarter-final in their half of the draw — world champions Argentina against Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City later on Saturday (early Sunday in the UK).

That semi-final will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15, with kick-off at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST.

Essential reading before kick-off