Norway vs England - Top five players to watch out for in FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash ft. Erling Haaland & Harry Kane

Norway have qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time in FIFA World Cup history.

Right at the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, if someone had predicted that Norway, playing in the tournament for the first time in 28 years, would reach the quarterfinals after defeating the likes of Brazil, many would have dismissed the possibility. However, the Norwegian national team has done exactly that. They have put together a remarkable campaign to book their place in the last eight.

Their reward is a quarter-final showdown against England, who were eliminated at the same stage in the previous edition after finishing fourth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The match is scheduled to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States, on July 11.

Norway, who finished second in their group behind France, come into this fixture after surviving two hard-fought knockout encounters. They edged past Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32, thanks to Erling Haaland’s dramatic 86th-minute winner. This was before producing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament with a stunning 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil in the round of 16.

England, meanwhile, are coming off one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament. Their Round of 16 clash against Mexico had everything. Despite being reduced to 10 men, the Three Lions secured a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Mexico dominated the opening stages before Jude Bellingham scored twice in the space of 100 seconds to swing the momentum. Mexico pulled one back before half-time.

Jarrell Quansah was sent off early in the second half. Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot to restore England’s two-goal cushion, only for him to give away a penalty minutes later. Thomas Tuchel then switched to an ultra-defensive setup to protect the lead and guide England into the quarterfinals. It was a contest filled with constant momentum swings and drama.

When these two sides meet in Miami, there are no clear favourites. Many of Norway’s players are familiar with England’s stars through club football. It will make this an intriguing contest between two evenly matched sides.

Here are five players who could make the difference in this quarter-final clash.

Top five players to watch out for in Norway vs England

S.No.	Player Name	Country
1	Harry Kane	England
2	Erling Haaland	Norway
3	Jude Bellingham	England
4	Andreas Schjelderup	Norway
5	Anthony Gordon	England

5. Anthony Gordon

Ever since Anthony Gordon was dropped in favour of Marcus Rashford against DR Congo, the FC Barcelona winger has responded brilliantly to force his way back into the starting XI. Although he struggled to make a decisive impact in the final third early in the tournament, Gordon registered two assists against DR Congo. This is before winning a crucial penalty in the Round of 16 against Mexico.

Blessed with explosive pace and a direct style of play, Gordon thrives in one-on-one situations. He constantly looks to drive at defenders. His intelligent movement inside the penalty area also makes him a dangerous attacking outlet.

He could have a significant role to play against a Norway side that has constantly rotated its right-back position, with Fredrik Aursnes, Marcus Pedersen and Julian Ryerson all starting there across the last three matches.

4. Andreas Schjelderup

One potential change Norway could make ahead of the quarterfinals is on the left wing. Andreas Schjelderup may be preferred over Antonio Nusa following his impressive cameo against Brazil. The SL Benfica winger provided assists for both of Erling Haaland‘s goals in the previous round, taking his tally to three assists in the tournament.

Schjelderup arrives on the back of an impressive domestic campaign. He contributed 17 goals and assists through his excellent dribbling ability, creative vision, dangerous deliveries and line-breaking passes. Comfortable operating as an inverted winger, Schjelderup could enjoy greater attacking freedom against an England side missing Jarrell Quansah and potentially Reece James as well.

3. Jude Bellingham

There has been plenty of debate surrounding Jude Bellingham’s role in the England setup. Some suggest he should play in a box-to-box role while Morgan Rogers starts as the attacking midfielder and provides additional creativity in midfield. However, the Real Madrid midfielder has silenced those discussions.

All with his performances, once again demonstrating why he is regarded as one of Europe’s finest attacking midfielders. Bellingham opened his tournament account against Croatia in their opening game. He followed it up with a goal and an assist against Panama in the third game.

Then produced a sensational brace against Mexico. That one completely changed the momentum of the Round of 16 encounter. An outstanding ball carrier, Bellingham combines his attacking quality with relentless defensive work.

He regularly wins possession through tackles and interceptions. Perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to time late runs into the penalty area perfectly. He also consistently arrives in dangerous positions to score.

He remains a significant aerial threat and a major weapon from set-piece situations.

2. Erling Haaland

While Norway have impressed collectively with their defensive organisation, one player is carrying the attacking burden. He is Erling Haaland.

The Manchester City striker has scored twice against Iraq, twice against Senegal, and netted the late winner against Ivory Coast. He followed it up with another brace to eliminate Brazil despite Carlo Ancelotti’s side looking defensively comfortable for much of the contest.

With England missing a tall physical defender like Harry Maguire, Haaland could find himself in a favourable battle against Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi. Both of them have shown signs of vulnerability during the tournament.

Expect Haaland to exploit any uncertainty in England’s defensive line with his trademark runs into the box, aerial dominance, and clinical finishing. Given space around the edge of the area, he also possesses the ability to test the goalkeeper from distance. He did against Brazil in the last game.

1. Harry Kane

If there is one player England will rely on for goals, it is Harry Kane, closely followed by Jude Bellingham. The England captain has shouldered much of the attacking responsibility, scoring six goals and providing one assist. He has either scored or assisted in four of England’s five matches so far.

Kane is the complete centre-forward. He can drop deep to link play like a false nine, combine effectively with his wingers. He can make intelligent movements inside the penalty area, and finishes chances with remarkable consistency.

His aerial ability also makes him a constant danger from crosses and set pieces. Equally important is his intelligence inside the box. Kane knows how to draw fouls, manipulate defenders, and exploit even the smallest defensive mistakes.

Kristoffer Ajer, who is expected to marshal Norway’s defence, will need to remain fully concentrated throughout the contest. While he has performed well overall during the tournament, he has also produced moments of defensive blunders, including conceding a penalty. Any lapse in concentration against a striker of Kane’s calibre could prove costly.

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