England Vs Norway: World Cup quarter-final team news and key stats
By Joel Masibo, July 11, 2026Norway and England will battle for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals when they meet at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The winner will move one step closer to challenging defending champions Argentina, should the South Americans progress from their own quarter-final.
Both nations arrive in the last eight after impressive round-of-16 victories. England edged tournament co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a thrilling contest, while Norway produced one of the biggest surprises of the knockout stage by defeating five-time world champions Brazil 2-1.
Match preview
England demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline in their victory over Mexico despite facing several obstacles, including the demanding conditions at high altitude and a difficult atmosphere at the Azteca Stadium.
Jude Bellingham scored twice, Harry Kane calmly converted from the penalty spot, and Dan Burn also found the net as Thomas Tuchel’s side advanced despite finishing the match with 10 men. The Three Lions reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the 11th time in their history.
The victory also highlighted England’s adaptability. They recorded just 33.2 percent possession, their lowest figure ever in a World Cup fixture, but made the most of their counter-attacking opportunities while defending resolutely throughout the contest.
England head into the clash having won three consecutive World Cup matches, scoring at least twice in each victory. Overall, they have collected six wins from their last seven matches, with only a scoreless draw against Ghana interrupting that run.
However, recent World Cup history offers a warning. Five of England’s last six eliminations in knockout matches have come against fellow European opponents, including each of the previous three.
Norway’s only defeat during the tournament came in a heavily rotated lineup against France, who claimed a convincing 4-1 victory. Since then, Stale Solbakken’s men have bounced back by overcoming opponents from Africa and South America.
Against Brazil, Erling Haaland once again proved decisive. The prolific striker opened the scoring with a header before adding another superb finish. Neymar converted a penalty deep into stoppage time, but Brazil could not find an equaliser.
The victory preserved Norway’s unbeaten all-time record against Brazil in senior men’s football and secured the Scandinavian nation’s first-ever appearance in a World Cup quarter-final.
Norway’s attacking style
Norway have become one of the tournament’s most entertaining teams, scoring 12 goals while conceding nine across five matches. Their aggressive attacking approach has made them exciting to watch, although it has also exposed defensive weaknesses.
Solbakken generally deploys a flexible 4-3-3 system that can shift into a 4-2-3-1, allowing Haaland and Alexander Sorloth to play together up front. Martin Odegaard orchestrates attacks from midfield, while Sander Berge provides energy and balance in the centre of the pitch.
Despite their impressive run, Norway have struggled against European opposition on the World Cup stage. They have never defeated a European nation in the tournament and have failed to score in each of their last four meetings with England.
England also hold the historical advantage in the fixture, winning seven of the previous meetings compared to Norway’s two victories. Their most recent encounter came in 2014, when Wayne Rooney’s penalty secured a 1-0 friendly victory for England.
Team news
England will be without defender Jarell Quansah after his straight red card against Mexico earned him a suspension that also rules him out of a potential semi-final.
Reece James remains doubtful because of a hamstring issue, meaning Djed Spence could return to the starting lineup. Another option would be to move either John Stones or Ezri Konsa into the right-back role.
Jordan Henderson has already been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after suffering a wrist injury in an accidental collision with advertising boards that required surgery.
Marc Guehi is also battling a hamstring problem, while Declan Rice has been dealing with illness. Guehi’s absence would likely see Dan Burn take on the task of containing Haaland.
Norway have received encouraging news regarding left-back David Moller Wolfe, who returned to full training after leaving the Brazil match with a late injury and is expected to be available.
Solbakken also faces welcome selection decisions in attack, with Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup pushing for starting places after combining to create both goals against Brazil.
Haaland remains firmly in contention for the Golden Boot with seven goals and has converted an impressive 39 percent of his shots during the tournament, underlining his remarkable efficiency in front of goal.
Possible starting lineups
Norway: Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Berg, Berge; Bobb, Odegaard, Schjelderup; Haaland.
England: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Burn, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.