Norway will face England in Miami on Saturday night for a place in the World Cup semi-finals, with extreme heat, England’s defensive changes and Norway’s attacking selection among the main issues before kickoff.
Norway and England meet at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 11, in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time, 10 p.m. in Britain and 11 p.m. in Norway, according to FIFA’s official match centre.
The match is Norway’s first World Cup quarter-final. Ståle Solbakken’s side reached the last eight by defeating Brazil 2–1, with Erling Haaland scoring twice late in the second half.
Substitute Andreas Schjelderup supplied both goals after replacing Antonio Nusa at half-time. Haaland now has seven goals in the tournament, according to Reuters’ report from the Brazil match.
England advanced with a 3–2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Thomas Tuchel’s team played the closing stages with 10 men after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off. Quansah has since received a two-match suspension and will miss the Norway game. England winger Bukayo Saka said the team was frustrated by the length of the ban but remained focused on the quarter-final, Reuters reported Thursday.
Tuchel received more positive news Friday when Declan Rice, Marc Guéhi and Reece James returned to full training. The England manager said he had a full squad available apart from Quansah. Jordan Henderson was the only player absent from Friday’s session after undergoing surgery for an arm injury suffered following the Mexico match, according to Reuters.
Norway have also experienced illness within the squad during the knockout stage. Solbakken said earlier this week that striker Jørgen Strand Larsen had suffered from a fever, while several other players had reported coughing and cold-like symptoms. Defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed the victory over Brazil because of illness. Solbakken attributed some of the problems to repeated travel, air conditioning and the physical demands of the tournament, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Solbakken must also decide whether to retain Nusa in the starting lineup or reward Schjelderup for his decisive contribution against Brazil. The Norway coach has not announced his team but said the players now believe they can compete with England after overcoming their early tournament nerves.
“We have gradually grown into the tournament,” Solbakken said Friday, according to Reuters.
Solbakken said Norway must play its own game and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the occasion. He added that his players would probably need to produce their best performance to eliminate England.
The Miami conditions are expected to influence both teams. Norway have adjusted their training programme because of the heat and humidity, while Solbakken has indicated that substitutes could become particularly important during the second half.
Concerns about playing conditions have continued throughout the tournament. A Reuters analysis published Friday found that no match had yet reached FIFA’s official extreme-heat threshold, although the players’ union FIFPRO supports intervention at lower temperatures.
The winner will advance to Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina or Switzerland. England have won seven of their previous 12 meetings with Norway, while Norway have won twice. The teams last met in September 2014, when England recorded a 1–0 friendly victory at Wembley, according to the English Football Association.