Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
England vs Norway World Cup quarterfinal preparations have centred on Erling Haaland, with Thomas Tuchel expecting the striker to pose the greatest danger to England in Miami on Saturday.
Norway reached their first World Cup quarterfinal after beating Brazil 2-1, while Haaland has scored seven goals in four tournament appearances. England must also cope with temperatures forecast to reach 34C at kick-off.
The winner will move into the last four alongside Spain or France, with Luis de la Fuente backing Spain before their World Cup semifinal. Supporters can follow the tournament through the official FIFA World Cup website.
Tuchel has faced Haaland before with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and the Norway forward scored against both of his teams in the UEFA Champions League.
“You can’t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,” Tuchel said. “There is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him.”
England’s concerns extend beyond stopping Haaland. Tuchel wants his players to move the ball faster, beat Norway’s press and spend more time in attacking areas.
“We need to play better,” Tuchel said. “We need to spend more time in the opponent’s half. We struggle too much to overcome a high press of the opponent. We need to be better in the deep buildup, in the high press. More connected.”
England have yet to find a clear playing identity during the tournament, despite reaching the quarterfinals. Their strongest recent display remains the 5-0 qualifying victory over Serbia in Belgrade.
Norway arrive with confidence and little pressure after eliminating Brazil. However, Tuchel rejected the idea that England should be viewed as comfortable favourites against a side carrying real momentum.
