​After the drama in Azteca, England and Thomas Tuchel are hoping for a magical Miami moment as the Three Lions prepare to face Norway in the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals. England clawed their way past co-hosts Mexico in dramatic fashion and now must shake off the emotional high and the exertions of that encounter to take on Erling Haaland and his teammates.
Norway have impressed throughout the campaign, with their standout moment coming in a ruthless upset of Brazil in the previous round. The squad features several players familiar to England’s Premier League followers, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to this cross-border clash. In short, this quarter-final promises to be a fascinating contest.
Norway vs England is scheduled to kick off at 10pm BST on Saturday 11 July at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. In the United Kingdom, ITV1 will air the match live, with coverage beginning at 8:45pm BST, and a live stream available via ITVX. The winner of this tie will advance to the semi-finals to meet either Argentina or Switzerland, who play earlier in the tournament.
Several players in the Norwegian camp are shaking off a lingering virus, though manager Solbakken has tried to downplay any widespread illness affecting the squad. Right-back Julian Ryerson is dealing with a hamstring issue but is expected to start if fit. A possible Norway XI could line up Nyland in goal, Ryerson at right-back, with Ajer, Heggem and Moller Wolfe at the back. The midfield might feature Odegaard, Berge and Berg, while Bobb, Haaland and Nusa could constitute the attacking trio.
England, meanwhile, received a timely boost as Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James were able to train on the eve of the match. The major decision for Tuchel is whether James can return at right-back after his hamstring problem. If James remains unavailable, Tuchel will face a dilemma: deploy Ezri Konsa at right-back or opt for Djed Spence on the weaker side. One casualty from the Mexico celebrations is Jordan Henderson, who misses out due to the freak arm injury he sustained while celebrating.
An anticipated England XI could feature Pickford in goal, with James, Konsa, Guehi and O’Reilly in defense. In midfield, the lineup might include Anderson and Rice, while the attacking quartet could see Saka, Bellingham and Gordon supporting Kane. As always, the tactical tinkerers will be watching closely to see how Tuchel leverages his squad depth against an enthusiastic Norwegian side that will look to spring a surprise in the United States.