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The quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup conclude on Saturday with two very enticing confrontations. Norway and England start the day at Miami Stadium while Argentina and Switzerland conclude the day at Kansas City Stadium. These teams will all look to join France and Spain in the semi-finals.
But we’re here to break down the first game of the day. Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final opener.
Norway vs England: brief history
While England and Norway have faced each other 12 times in their history, this is the first time at the World Cup itself. One particularly memorable match from nearly 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 match result as “a seismic shock, seen as a national embarrassment for England”.
But there is more. Norway’s monumental victory was further engraved in history thanks to radio presenter Bjørge Lillelien who called out British prime ministers, particularly the then-serving Margaret Thatcher.
Find out more about the BBC:
“A slightly edited version of his wonderfully exciting comment goes like this: ‘Lord Nelson. Lord Beaverbrook. Sir Winston Churchill. Sir Anthony Eden. Clement Atlee. Henry Cooper. Lady Diana. We beat them all.’
And then came Lillelien’s most famous words.
‘Maggie Thatcher. Can you hear me? We have a message for you. We knocked your boys out of 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 quite a beating.
He then repeated for good measure: ‘Your boys took quite a beating.'”
Even though England did participate in the next World Cup, Lillelien’s sentiment persisted and became an everlasting part of footballing lore.
Norway vs England: 2026 World Cup quarter-final
When Norway and England meet on Saturday in South Florida, the main story of the game will be evident. England are managed by Harry Kane and Norway are managed by Erling Haaland, and there is good reason to believe that both players are the best center forwards of their generation.
Playing in their first major tournament since Euro 2000, Norway more than lived up to their expectations as a “dark horse” contender. The club has relied entirely on star striker Erling Haaland, and that could be enough to go even further.
Haaland played four matches at this World Cup and scored seven goals. What should be particularly worrying for England is that he gets better as the tournament progresses. Against Brazil, Haaland was contained for the first 79 minutes, but then came back to life with a superb performance in the final part of the match. With the match scoreless, the Manchester City striker rose into the air to head home the go-ahead goal. Then, in the 90th minute, he unleashed a blast from distance that sealed what would become a 2-1 victory over the five-time champions.
The Norwegian formula is well known. Their capable central midfielders – Martin Ødegaard, Sander Berge and Patrick Berg – manage possession and try to pass the ball wide of the wingers. Antonio Nusa was the main option on the left, but he struggled against Brazil and was replaced at half-time by Andreas Schjelderup, who scored two assists. The wingers then look to place the ball through Haaland’s center from the outside, and he is there either with a header or making a late run into the box.
The toughest decision Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken has to make regarding his starting XI is whether Schjelderup should start after his great performance off the bench. There are also concerns about right-hander Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, who missed the match against Brazil due to fatigue. Meanwhile, a slight illness problem hit the Norwegian team this week but now appears to be under control.
Solbakken’s other concern is the team’s defense, which must now try to contain Kane even though he has yet to keep a clean sheet at this World Cup.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel is asking himself several important questions, starting with his central defenders. Jarell Quansah is suspended after his red card against Mexico and will not be there to help deal with Haaland. Marc Guéhi, meanwhile, is struggling with a hamstring injury and, as Haaland’s club teammate, he is perhaps the one who knows the most about the star striker.
Another issue for Tuchel is the testing nature of the team’s 3-2 win in Mexico, where they were forced to defend most of the second half with 10 men. Combined with altitude recovery and the intensity of this match, fatigue could be an issue in the Florida heat on Saturday. (Temperatures are expected in the 80s with very high humidity.)
But the Three Lions have a lot of positives in this match. 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 this level again, Norway may not have an answer. Meanwhile, Declan Rice will be tasked with winning battles against Arsenal teammate Ødegaard. Rice is set to be the toughest midfield battle Ødegaard has faced so far in the tournament.
And of course, there’s 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 pass the ball to the wingers.
England should be favorites in the game simply from depth. But Norway’s best players can win matches on their own, so it could be close.
Players to watch
The Norwegian striker has been plying his trade in England and taking full advantage of the spotlight at his first-ever major international tournament. He has seven goals and it has been impossible for any team, so far, to stop him. With England dealing with suspensions and injuries to their backline, Haaland could have an opening to take Norway to the semi-finals.
The England central striker has also been dominant and he can lead the Three Lions to victories they don’t deserve, like the 2-1 win over DR Congo in the round of 16. But what makes Kane a difficult striker to stop is that he can be anywhere. He can position himself in midfield to create, or he can move out wide and find wingers cutting centrally or midfielders running into the box. Norway’s defense hasn’t kept a clean sheet at this World Cup – and stopping Kane will be their toughest task yet.
