Norway’s Erling Haaland smiles during a news ahead of their quarterfinal World Cup soccer match against England Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — Everyone knows that England’s master plan coming into the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday will revolve around stopping Norway striker Erling Haaland.
As they’d say in Norway, “Lykke til.” Translated: Good luck.
“Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland?” England midfielder Morgan Rogers asked, probably only somewhat rhetorically. “I’m unsure they’ve, but we’re going to try. You’re going to must try.”
READ: Erling Haaland-led World Cup run stirring up pride for Norway fans
Stopping Haaland — who has seven goals on this 12 months’s World Cup, one behind France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi for essentially the most on the tournament — can be the first subplot of the Norway-England match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Among the many others: Haaland versus England’s Harry Kane in a striker showdown, a Norway team with no pressure versus an England team with enormous expectations, even British Airways versus Norwegian Air in a social media chirping battle. At stake for the teams is a berth in Wednesday’s semifinals, with the winner to face either Argentina or Switzerland.
“I believe it’s Norway vs. England,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Friday, after his team went through its final walk-through before perhaps the largest match within the nation’s soccer history. “But I don’t think it’s a secret that Kane is match-leader No. 1 for England and Haaland is match-leader No. 1 for us.”
Indeed, there are two elite strikers on this game — not only one. England coach Thomas Tuchel raved about Kane on Friday, and rightly so. Kane has six goals thus far on this 12 months’s World Cup.
England’s Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates with teammate Harry Kane (9) after scoring his team’s first goal in the course of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Mexico and England in Mexico City, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
“He’s in the form of his life and in the very best peak of his profession,” Tuchel said.
When Haaland — who stands nearly 6-foot-5 — gets the ball in his preferred spots, opponents realize that stopping him is nearly out of the query. He’s too big, too strong, too expert, and the ball is nearly definitely going to seek out its way into the back of the web.
England’s Nico O’Reilly — Haaland’s teammate at Manchester City — has seen it occur repeatedly. And if there’s an answer to the Haaland problem, O’Reilly may need the closest possible thing to a solution.
His plan: Don’t let the ball get to him.
“Everyone knows what he’s like,” O’Reilly said. “He can rating goals, he’s dangerous within the box, he’s an actual threat. They should get him the ball there first.”
Haaland — who didn’t play for Norway in its loss to France within the group stage — has gotten his goals in bunches on this tournament. Against Iraq, his two goals got here 14 minutes apart. Against Senegal, his two goals were 10 minutes apart. Against Brazil, his two goals were 11 minutes apart.
He was born in England; his father was playing for Leeds at the moment. And Haaland definitely sees the importance.
“It’s a special game, definitely,” Haaland said. “I believe, for me, it’s super special because I play in England and I’m born in England and I’ll be playing against (Manchester City) teammates and all the pieces.”
It’s not only Haaland in that friends-turned-foes spot. There are nine players for Norway who play for clubs in England, so there’ll obviously be familiarity between the perimeters on Saturday.
“Every little thing is on the road,” O’Reilly said. “Every little thing is at stake.”
Each teams riding high
The teams got to Saturday’s match in dramatic fashions, with Norway holding off perennial power and five-time World Cup champion Brazil 2-1 and England going into Mexico City and stunning previously unbeaten — and unscored-upon — co-host Mexico 3-2.
Each side have acknowledged that coming down from the high of such wins took a bit of overtime.
“We discussed that we want to place the drama and the emotions of the Mexico game behind us,” England forward Bukayo Saka said. “Now we want to give attention to Norway, which goes to be one other tough challenge, a distinct challenge, and we’re fully focused.”
They could be close to totally loaded, too.
Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James, all sidelined in recent days, trained Friday and Tuchel said he anticipates having a “full selection” awaiting him when the lineup for Saturday gets decided. England can be without defender Jarell Quansah as he begins serving his two-match suspension that was handed down after he got red-carded against Mexico within the round of 16.
Rice, Guehi and James all went through training Friday at Inter Miami’s facility, with team co-owner David Beckham — a former England great — watching.
“I believe there’s some clear favorites on the market. England’s one in every of them,” Haaland said. “So, I believe all of it’s best to put each (little bit of) pressure on the English lads.”
Haaland said that with a smile, and that’s been the case all tournament long. He’s having fun with this, on the sphere and off.
He’s a walking, talking meme, someone who draws tons of attention for all the pieces he does and says. When English great Wayne Rooney said he’d row ( a nod to Norway’s rowing tradition ) down the River Mersey if Norway beat Brazil, those words got to Haaland — who, in response to reports in British media, has reminded Rooney that he’s got some rowing to do.
All eyes can be on Haaland. England could have to work out a option to solve him, or else its World Cup run will end in Miami.
“I believe it’s the largest challenge,” Rogers said, “however it’s a challenge that excites this group.”