Stale Solbakken has made England the favourites to reach the 2026 World Cup semi-final, but the Norway boss also believes the pressure may be heavier on England than on his side when the teams meet in Miami on Saturday.
England, the five-time world champions, face Norway at 22:00 BST in the last 16, with the winner moving on to meet Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta next Wednesday at 20:00 BST for a place in the 19 July showpiece.
Solbakken sees England as favourites, but not by much
Asked about the game, Solbakken was straightforward about England's status. “They are favourites, but they're not big, big favourites,” he said. That view fits the overall shape of the tie: England arrive with the history, depth and expectation that come with being one of the world's biggest football nations, while Norway come in as the side trying to extend a run that already has changed the picture for them.
Solbakken also pointed to the difference in pressure between the two teams. “I think England have more pressure than us,” he said. “But we also put pressure on our performance. Once the game starts I don't think the players think about the pressure.”
Norway's route to this stage has been notable in its own right. This is their first World Cup since 1998, and during their run to the quarter-finals Erling Haaland scored seven goals as Norway beat Iraq, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Brazil. The victory over Brazil in the last 16 sent them into a meeting with England that now carries real weight.
Haaland and Kane will draw attention, but not the whole story
The match is likely to be framed around Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, and Solbakken did not shy away from that. “It's not a secret that Kane is match-winner number one for England and Erling is match-winner number one for us,” he said.
Even so, he pushed back on the idea that the game is only about those two stars. “There's no doubt that he is our biggest match-winner, but I think you underestimate some of the other players if you think that's the whole theme,” Solbakken said of Haaland. “He also needs service but you can't deny that he is a big, big match-winner for us.”
He also placed the match in a wider historical context, calling Brazil and England “maybe the two biggest nations we could meet at this World Cup in terms of history” before adding simply: “it's Norway against England.”
That is the cleanest way to view it. England may be the favourites, but Norway have already shown they can handle pressure and produce results against major opposition. On Saturday in Miami, the reward for the winner is a place in next Wednesday's semi-final path, and one more step toward the 19 July final.
