England face Norway in first men’s World Cup quarterfinal

England and Norway met at Miami Stadium in Miami on Saturday, July 11, in the first men’s World Cup quarter-final between the countries. England were chasing their first World Cup semi-final since 2018, while Norway arrived in their first men’s World Cup quarter-final after beating Côte d’Ivoire and Brazil to get there. The match was framed around Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, with Kane carrying six goals and one assist in five tournament games and Haaland entering on seven goals in four.

England and Norway had met 12 times before, beginning in 1937, and England won the first four by an aggregate 20-2. Their last meeting before this World Cup was a 1-0 England win in a Wembley warm-up match in 2014, and the best-known reference point remained Norway’s 2-1 victory in Oslo on September 9, 1981, the game remembered for Bjørge Lillelien’s commentary. England also beat Norway 3-0 in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals.

The tie carried a heavy Premier League echo because nine members of Norway’s 26-man squad had played in the English top flight. Martin Odegaard matched up against England midfielders Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. England’s route to the last eight included a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas on June 17, a 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston on June 23, a 2-0 win over Panama in New York/New Jersey on June 27, a 2-1 comeback against Congo DR in Atlanta on July 1 and a 3-2 round-of-16 win over Mexico in Mexico City on July 5.

Forecasts pointed to heat advisories and thunderstorms, and FIFA’s lightning-safety protocol required play to stop if lightning came within eight miles of the stadium. The Football Association appointed Tuchel on October 16, 2024. In Sheffield, the city’s Devonshire Green fan park opened for the match with £10 standard entry for England games, doors at 5pm, and plans to screen every remaining quarter-final, semi-final and the final.