Norway faces England for a first-ever World Cup semifinal berth

Norway met England at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, with a first World Cup semifinal berth on the line and the stakes clear from the opening whistle. FIFA had framed the quarterfinal as a chance for Norway to reach an unprecedented semifinal, while England aimed to return to the tournament’s last four after a 3-2 win over Mexico.

For Sander Berge, that optimism was not empty. The defensive midfielder has been one of Norway’s most effective players in the tournament, and his confidence rested on a simple advantage: Erling Haaland. Norway arrived in the quarterfinals for the first time in its World Cup history after Haaland scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16, a result that turned Norway from a curiosity into a genuine threat.

That is why the match against England was more than a meeting of two unbeaten narratives. It was a direct test of whether Norway could keep feeding the same edge that carried it past Brazil. Haaland had already shown he could punish elite opposition in decisive moments, and Berge’s belief in an upset hinged on that repeated ability to turn limited openings into goals.

England came through a far more chaotic route. The Football Association said its team reached the quarterfinals after a 3-2 win over co-hosts Mexico at Mexico City Stadium, a match settled by two goals from Jude Bellingham and a Harry Kane penalty. That result set up the marquee individual duel of the round: Haaland against Kane, the tournament’s two most prominent finishers facing each other in a match that drew heavy attention.

Norway’s case was strengthened by the way it handled Brazil, not only by winning but by doing so with Haaland deciding the result late. Against England, the same formula offered a realistic upset path. If Norway could keep Berge’s midfield work intact, survive England’s attacking spells and put Haaland into the sort of positions he had already converted against Brazil, the first in a long line of World Cup milestones could become another.