​Martin Odegaard has tipped Norway to bite back as underdogs, insisting his side are ready to unleash their teeth again in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against England. All eyes will be fixed on the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami as the Scandinavians chase another upset after their stunning 2-1 win over Brazil. The star turn of that memorable victory was Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who struck twice to lift Norway past the Selecao, and now the team is primed to derail England’s World Cup hopes in Florida.
Arsenal captain Odegaard acknowledged England’s potency, saying, “Obviously we know the quality they have. I know them really well. Outstanding players, world-class players, playing for probably one of the best national teams in the world at the moment, so it’s going to be a big test for us.” He continued, recalling Norway’s Brazilian triumph: “But I think Brazil was the same. We were the underdogs and, as you saw, anything can happen in football, so, yeah, we’re going to give it a good try and see what we can do and looking forward to it.”
Odegaard stressed the need to stay realistic about the adversary while emphasizing belief in his own team: “It’s true that a lot of us play in England, so we know them quite well. Obviously, we’ve been playing against a lot of these players in the league, so we know them but it’s about the whole team. We have to be prepared, we have to analyse the opponent like we always do and we have to have the belief in ourselves.” He added that Norway had already shown the world what they’re capable of and that football remains unpredictable: “I think we’ve showed the whole world that we’re a good team and, as I said, in football anything is possible and even though we’re the underdogs again let’s see what happens. Let’s prepare well and let’s keep enjoying our football and this moment together, so let’s see.”
The matchup features two teams ranked 4th and 19th in FIFA’s world rankings, with the heat and humidity of Miami presenting an additional challenge. Norway flew to Florida on Tuesday and trained at Inter Miami’s facilities in Fort Lauderdale the following day, while England remained in Kansas City, their base in baking heat, until Friday. Odegaard commented on the climate, noting, “I think it’s a big change for all of us. We’re from Norway, so we’re not used to this type of weather.” Yet he remained confident: “But I think the good thing is we’ve been here for a while now. We came early to America and we’re really used to it now, and I feel like we’ve been really good in the games.” He conceded that cramps had been an issue in some fixtures but stressed that the team’s overall adaptation had been positive: “Maybe one of the games we had a lot of cramps in that, but apart from that, yeah, I think it’s going well and we’re used to it now, so it’s not a big problem.”
As they prepare for a clash that promises drama, Odegaard’s Norway are embracing the role of underdogs with a renewed determination. If they can translate their Brazil triumph into a repeat performance against England, they might pull off another major upset in Florida and keep their World Cup campaign alive. The stage is set for a high-stakes quarter-final where tactical discipline, stamina, and the courage to play their best football will be crucial.