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The quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup conclude on Saturday with two very attractive matchups. Norway and England begin the day at Miami Stadium while Argentina and Switzerland conclude the day at Kansas City Stadium. All of these teams will look to join France and Spain in the semifinals.
But we are here to analyze the first game of the day. Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s first World Cup quarter-final match.
Norway vs. England: brief history
While England and Norway have met 12 times in their histories, this is the first time in a World Cup proper. One particularly memorable confrontation from almost 50 years ago still stands out.
(Photo by Monte Fresco/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
In 1981, in a World Cup qualifying match, Norway pulled off an unthinkable upset by beating England 2-1. The BBC described the result of the match as “a seismic shock, considered a national embarrassment for England”.
But there is more. Norway’s monumental victory was further etched in history thanks to radio host Bjørge Lillelien criticizing British prime ministers, particularly the one in office at the time, Margaret Thatcher.
More from the BBC:
“A lightly edited version of his wonderfully titillating commentary is: ‘Lord Nelson. Lord Beaverbrook. Sir Winston Churchill. Sir Anthony Eden. Clement Atlee. Henry Cooper. Lady Diana. We have beaten them all.’
And then came Lillelien’s most famous words.
-Maggie Thatcher. Can you hear me? We have a message for you. We have eliminated their boys from the World Cup. Maggie Thatcher. As they say in your language, in the boxing bars of Madison Square Garden in New York, your boys took an incredible beating.
Then he repeated for good measure: ‘Your boys took an incredible beating.'”
While England did, in fact, make it to the next World Cup, Lillelien’s sentiment persisted and became an eternal part of football lore.
Norway vs England: Quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup
When Norway and England meet in South Florida on Saturday, the main plot of the match will be obvious. England are managed by Harry Kane and Norway are managed by Erling Haaland, and there are good reasons to argue that both players are the best centre-forwards of their generation.
Playing in its first major tournament since Euro 2000, Norway has lived up to its hype as a “dark horse” contender. The club has completely trusted star striker Erling Haaland, and that could be enough to go even further.
Haaland has played four games in this World Cup and has scored seven goals. What should be particularly worrying for England is that they are improving as the tournament progresses. Against Brazil, Haaland was contained for the first 79 minutes, but then came to life with an impressive performance in the latter part of the match. With the game tied, the Manchester City striker rose into the air to head in the go-ahead goal. Then, in the 90th minute, he unleashed a shot from distance that sealed what would become a 2-1 victory over the five-time champions.
The Norwegian formula is well known. Their competent central midfielders (Martin Ødegaard, Sander Berge and Patrick Berg) control possession and try to pass the ball to the wingers. Antonio Nusa has been the main option on the left, but he struggled against Brazil and was replaced at half-time by Andreas Schjelderup, who provided two assists. The wingers then look to get the ball central to Haaland from outside, and he is there, either with a header or a late run into the box.
The toughest decision Norway coach Ståle Solbakken has to make regarding his starting lineup is whether Schjelderup should start after his strong performance off the bench. There are also concerns with right-hander Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, who missed the Brazil game due to fatigue. Meanwhile, a minor illness affected the Norwegian team this week, but it appears to be under control now.
Solbakken’s other concern is the team’s defense, which must now try to contain Kane despite not having yet kept a clean sheet in this World Cup.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has several big questions, starting with his central defenders. Jarell Quansah is suspended following his red card against Mexico and will not be there to help deal with Haaland. Meanwhile, Marc Guéhi is dealing with a hamstring injury and, as Haaland’s clubmate, might have the most knowledge about the star striker.
Another problem for Tuchel is the demanding nature of the team’s 3-2 victory in Mexico, where he was forced to defend most of the second half with 10 men. Combined with recovery stemming from the altitude and intensity of that game, fatigue could be an issue in the Florida heat on Saturday. (Temperatures in the 80s with very high humidity are expected).
But the Three Lions have many positives in this game. Jude Bellingham had his best game of the tournament in the thrilling 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16. If he plays at that level again, Norway might not have an answer. Meanwhile, Declan Rice will be tasked with winning battles against Arsenal team-mate Ødegaard. Rice is set to be the toughest midfield battle Ødegaard has faced so far in the tournament.
Then, of course, there is Kane, who has six goals in this tournament. He could also be very important for England when he returns to midfield to create plays and carry the ball to the wingers.
England should be the favorites in the game simply because of their depth. But Norway’s top-line talent can win games on their own, so it could be very close.
Players to watch
The Norwegian striker plies his trade in England and is making the most of the attention in his first major international tournament. He has seven goals and it has been impossible for all teams, until now, to stop him. With England facing suspensions and injuries to their defensive line, Haaland could have a chance to lead Norway to the semi-final.
The England centre-forward has also been dominant and can lead the Three Lions to victories they do not deserve, such as the 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32. But what makes Kane a difficult striker to stop is that he can be everywhere. He can drop into midfield to create, or he can drift outwards and find wingers cutting through the middle or midfielders running into the box. Norway’s defense has failed to keep a clean sheet in this World Cup and stopping Kane will be their toughest task to date.
