Norway vs England
Well folks, we’re at the World Cup final stages in the blink of an eye, and Thomas Tuchel’s England are hoping to end a 60-year wait to lift the famous trophy.
The World Cup 2026 betting odds have consistently backed the Three Lions to reach the semi-finals, and now they face a Norway team which they are expected to beat. But in this competition, nothing is certain, as some of the bigger guns have already discovered.
Both England and Norway had superb Sundays. First the Vikings pillaged the Samba Boys of Brazil, and then Tuchel’s men edged a five-goal thriller against hosts Mexico, in arguably their best performance since 1966.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken must be delighted with how his team has coped in its first World Cup finals since 1998, and he is looking forward to leading the team to its first quarter-final in history. But they do not want their adventure to end there.
The Norwegian press is bullish, with Scandinavian media outlet Dagbladet running a headline which read “Poor England.” The Three Lions fans will be pleased they are not facing Brazil in this match, but they are meeting the team which beat Brazil and a team with one of the most feared strikers in world football.
Talking Points
Bellingham the leader
England’s clash with Mexico showcased the best of Thomas Tuchel’s side. The Three Lions attacked with intent, and their creative play was a delight to watch, while they dug in and defended for their lives when El Tri threw everything at them.
At 2,200-feet altitude and in front of a hostile 80,000-crowd at the Azteca Stadium, England showed incredible resilience, the like of which I haven’t seen for some time from the national team. And they have more than one leader on the pitch. Captain Harry Kane leads from the front, while Declan Rice is a commanding figure in midfield or at right-back if needed.
And against Mexico, it was Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham who earned the biggest plaudits with a heroic showing, scoring a brilliant first-half brace and making a goal-saving clearance. His goals, teed up by Bukayo Saka and Kane, were taken with all the skill of a seasoned poacher. And after Mexico had pegged England back, Bellingham stopped a certain equaliser with a world-class intervention to deny Cesar Montes.
England went down to 10 men when Jarell Quansah was sent off, and a penalty for each side made it 3-2 to England to tee up a clash with the Vikings and their fearsome striker.
England respect and maybe fear Haaland
The players in the Three Lions camp will deny they fear anything, but they would have to be daft to claim they are not preoccupied with how they can stop the prolific hitman Erling Halland. With 62 goals from 54 internationals, he is a goal machine, and most English players will have experienced his lethal finishing in the Premier League.
His two goals against Brazil meant Haaland has extended his international scoring streak to 14 games, and he has become the first European striker to score in his first four World Cup matches since Christian Vieri achieved that mark back in 1998. The Manchester City man is in a furious race for the Golden Boot on seven goals alongside Kylian Mbappe, one behind leader Lionel Messi, while Kane is in hot pursuit on six.
England will most likely dominate this match, but they only need to give Haaland an inch, and he will make them pay. And first the England midfield will need to stop the supply which will come from Arsenal star Martin Odegaard.
History
England are hoping to end a 60-year wait since their last World Cup triumph, while this is Norway’s first appearance in the quarter-finals. The Three Lions have won both their previous meetings with Norway, each time by a 1-0 scoreline.
With four wins and a draw, England have been slightly better than Norway in terms of World Cup 2026 results. The Vikings have won four and lost one, but the manager made wholesale changes for the dead rubber against France at the group stage.
Betting Tip
Norway are at SBOTOP odds of 4.25 to stun the Three Lions, with the draw at 3.60. And while the Vikings are a dangerous side, I think Tuchel’s men will have too much for them if they can keep Haaland quiet. But that is a very big ‘if’.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
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⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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