Miami (Florida) [US], July 11 (ANI): Norway are looking to rewrite history with a victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash against England at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday (local time) as the two giant nations fight for the coveted seat in the semi-final.
The Norwegian football team shared a post on its X account, ‘Fotballandslaget’, with pictures of players from a practice session and wrote the caption, “The day before the BIG day.”
The Scandinavian side has completed preparations for their upcoming do-or-die match against England.
Norway will be aiming to continue their dream run at the tournament when they take on Thomas Tuchel’s England for a place in the semi-finals, where either defending champions Argentina or Switzerland await.
Stale Solbakken’s side have emerged as one of the biggest surprise packages of the World Cup after stunning five-time champions Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16. Erling Haaland scored twice, including a superb second goal, before Neymar pulled one back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time.
The victory sent Norway into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history and preserved their remarkable unbeaten record against Brazil in senior men’s football.
Norway have entertained throughout the tournament, scoring 12 goals while conceding nine in five matches. Their only defeat came against France in the group stage, a match in which Solbakken rotated heavily.
Standing in their way are an England side growing in confidence under Tuchel. The Three Lions secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16 despite playing with 10 men, with Jude Bellingham netting twice and Harry Kane converting from the penalty spot.
England have now won three successive matches at the tournament, scoring at least twice in each victory, and have recorded six wins from their last seven outings, with a goalless draw against Ghana being the only exception.
Despite their recent form, England’s World Cup knockout record against European opposition offers Norway encouragement. Five of England’s last six eliminations in the competition have come against fellow European nations.
History, however, favours the Three Lions. Norway have never beaten a European side at the World Cup and have failed to score in each of their last four meetings with England. The English also hold a dominant 7-2 advantage in the overall head-to-head record.
The two nations last met in a friendly in 2014, when Wayne Rooney’s penalty sealed a 1-0 victory for England.
With a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals at stake, both teams will look to extend their impressive campaigns in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most eagerly anticipated quarter-final contests. (ANI)
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