Norway vs England: Can Haaland Shock England Too?

Predictions

We think England win this one 1-0. But we expect a very close and intense match.

This is the classic story, the fairytale Norway against the big favorites England.

England have the deeper squad, so they are the slight favorites.

But Norway have Erling Haaland, and he is stronger than ever right now.

So this really comes down to one question, can England stop him?

• Our prediction: a tight England win, 1-0.
• DraftKings: England are the favorites at -105, with Norway out at +280.
• BetMGM: their tipster Nick Hennion expects a low-scoring game, and he leans toward under 2.5 goals.

The Fairytale Meets the Big Test

Nobody expected Norway to still be here, and yet here they are.

This is their first World Cup since 1998, so they waited 28 long years just to come back.

And now they are in their first ever quarter-final, which feels almost impossible.

The man carrying them is Erling Haaland, and he has been waiting his whole life for this.

For years the world watched him score for his club and wonder if he would ever shine at a World Cup.

Now he has 7 goals and just knocked out Brazil, so his moment is finally here.

Standing in his way is England, a much bigger name chasing their own dream.

So this is the fairytale against the favorites, and one of them has to lose.

How Did Norway Reach the Quarter-Finals?

Norway have been on the best run in their history.

They started with a big 4-1 win over Iraq, then won a wild 3-2 game against Senegal.

A 1-4 loss to France did not stop them, because they had already done enough to go through.

Then they beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32 to reach the last 16.

And then came the shock of the tournament, a 2-1 win over Brazil.

Haaland scored twice late, and their goalkeeper Orjan Nyland even saved a penalty to keep them in it.

How Did England Reach the Quarter-Finals?

England have kept winning, but they have made it hard on themselves.

They won their group with a 4-2 win over Croatia, a 0-0 draw with Ghana, and a 2-0 win over Panama.

Then they were losing to DR Congo before 2 late goals from Harry Kane rescued the game and won it 2-1.

In the round of 16 they beat Mexico 3-2 at the famous Azteca stadium.

And the wild part is that they did it with 10 men for more than half an hour after a red card.

So England are through again, but that defense has looked shaky under pressure.

Why Are England the Slight Favorites?

That is because England have more top players than Norway.

Add to that their captain Harry Kane, who always seems to score in the biggest games.

And their midfielder Jude Bellingham can take control of a game all on his own.

And their goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has already saved them once at this World Cup.

Then on the sideline you have their coach Thomas Tuchel, a ruthless German manager who keeps demanding the best from everyone and pushing his team further.

And England carry a lot of pressure, because they have not won the World Cup since 1966.

That is why the odds make England the slight favorites, even in such a close game.

Why Can Norway Shock England Too?

But Norway have already knocked out Brazil, so they will not fear anyone.

And the reason is one man, their striker Erling Haaland.

He is scoring in almost every game right now, and he only needs one chance.

Around him their captain Martin Odegaard is brilliant at finding the pass that opens a defense.

And their forward Alexander Sorloth is big, strong, and hard to handle near the goal.

England's defense looked shaky against Mexico, so Norway will believe they can score against it.

If Haaland gets going, even a good England team could be in real trouble.

The winner of this one reaches the semi-finals in the knockout stage, so both teams will give everything they have.

Our Call: England 1-0 Norway

So how do we see this quarter-final ending?

We think England are deeper and a little more organized at the back.

They should be able to keep Haaland fairly quiet, even if it is a hard job.

And at the other end, Kane or Bellingham can find the one goal that decides it.

So our call is a tight, low-scoring 1-0 for England.

But with Haaland on the pitch, anything can happen.

Where and When Is the Match?

The game is on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

It is played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

And kickoff is at 5:00 PM Eastern time.

The winner then reaches the semi-finals, and the loser is out of the World Cup.

You can find all the extra details on the match page.

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