Norway vs England: battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals
The 2026 World Cup quarter-final will see Norway take on England in a match scheduled for late Saturday evening, July 11, with kick-off at 23:00 CET. Here's my betting pick for this encounter.
Norway vs England: Match preview
Norway have been absent from major tournaments for many years, but they have produced outstanding football throughout this competition. They also enjoyed an excellent World Cup qualifying campaign, including a resounding victory over Italy. In the group stage, Norway defeated Iraq 4-1 before edging Senegal 3-2.
Despite losing their final group-stage match, they advanced to the knockout rounds, where they beat Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 before narrowly overcoming Brazil by the same scoreline. Erling Haaland has been in sensational form, scoring seven goals to rank third among the tournament's leading scorers.
England, under Thomas Tuchel, also cruised through qualification, collecting maximum points in their group. They have continued that impressive form at the tournament itself. The Three Lions defeated Croatia 4-2, then played out a 0-0 draw before beating Panama 2-0 in their final group-stage fixture. Seven points secured top spot in their group.
In the knockout stage, they edged DR Congo 2-1 in a hard-fought contest before defeating Mexico 3-2. England were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the previous tournament, but they reached the semi-finals in 2018, and this time they will be aiming not only to match that achievement but to lift the World Cup trophy.
Match facts and head-to-head
- England have not lost a single match this season.
- England have scored at least two goals in each of their last three matches.
- England won the most recent meeting with Norway 1-0.
Probable line-ups
- Norway: Nyland – Møller Wolfe, Heggem, Ajer, Ryerson – Berg, Berge, Ødegaard – Nusa, Haaland, Sørloth
- England: Pickford – O'Riley, Guehi, Konsa, Stones – Anderson, Rice – Gordon, Bellingham, Saka – Kane
Prediction
I expect an entertaining and highly competitive match that should deliver plenty of excitement. My recommended bet is for both teams to score.
