​KANSAS CITY, MO — England is determined to prevent Norway’s star Erling Haaland from scoring in the World Cup quarterfinal, or at least they’ll give it a serious try. That’s the plan, or at least the idea behind it. Even England players are weighing whether it’s possible to keep the Manchester City forward, who has netted seven goals in four World Cup matches and has found the back of the net in every game he’s played in this tournament, from powering Norway into a quarterfinal showdown with the Three Lions. It’s a daunting assignment, but one they’re ready to tackle.
“Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland? I’m not sure they have, but we’re going to try. You’re going to have to try,” England midfielder Morgan Rogers said Wednesday at a news conference. “He’s such an unbelievable player, the things he does, the numbers he puts up. You’re just in awe of how good he is, the level he’s at. We’re going to have to maybe try and stop how they play and work on those things and maybe stop how the ball is going into him, how to stop those chances because he’s so deadly in front of goal.”
Rogers laughed when told that his Aston Villa team, including club and country teammate Ezri Konsa, had actually kept Haaland off the scoresheet in their last four Premier League meetings. “Maybe a bit of luck as well,” he said. “We’ve done well in those games against City, but every game is a different game.”
Norway’s Haaland has become a global sensation, adding nearly 1 million social media followers per day as more fans watch him score, though the quarterfinal vs. England will be a totally different test from the club clashes. The Norway squad plays in a markedly different manner from Haaland’s City side, and England will need to adapt to that reality if they want to advance.
Still, Rogers emphasized that there is more to Norway than just Haaland. “It’s not just him,” he cautioned. “They’ve got other good players as well that we play against regularly in the Premier League, and we need to be mindful of them. They’re a really good team. That’s what I think their biggest super-strength is: as a unit, they’re so strong.”
England, for their part, also possesses a formidable team. Rogers often comes off the bench to inject pace and attacking threat, a luxury few teams at the tournament can claim. And at the heart of England’s attack is a familiar figure: 32-year-old Harry Kane, who has been leading the line with nine goals in the tournament to date, providing a veteran presence and a clinical edge that England will lean on in the knockout rounds.
Kane’s six goals in this competition to help England reach the quarterfinal have been a key part of their offense, and his ability to finish chances under pressure will once again be crucial against a Norway side that has built its identity around collective strength and organized defense. England’s plan will likely revolve around pressuring Haaland when he touches the ball, cutting off service to him, and maintaining discipline to avoid giving away set-piece opportunities that could punish them in a tight, high-stakes game.
As the teams prepare for the next chapter of this World Cup, the focus remains clear: England will attempt to neutralize Haaland’s impact while leveraging their own attacking depth. Kane will be looked upon to lead the line with precision, and the English midfield will need to control the pace of the game, prevent dangerous distribution into Haaland, and create enough chances to test a Norway defense that has shown resilience throughout the tournament. The quarterfinal matchup may be billed as a duel between a single extraordinary talent and a strong team-wide effort, but in the heat of a knockout game, it often comes down to execution, tactics, and a moment of brilliance from players who are accustomed to playing on the world stage.