England will take on Norway in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup in what promises to be an absolute barn-burner of a contest. Who will the Three Lions have to look out for most?
We’ve highlighted five of Norway’s best and most dangerous players ahead of this climatic tie, due to take place at 10pm GMT on Saturday.
We think you can probably guess who one of them is (and quite possibly two) – but who are the others? Here is who we have picked out.
Martin Odegaard
Norway and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is up first. A hard-working dynamo with virtually no weaknesses, he is the heartbeat of Norway’s underrated midfield.
Capable of turning defence into attack within seconds, Odegaard’s key strengths lie in his vision and range of passing, but he isn’t averse to a solid tackle, either.
A highly intelligent player, Odegaard hasn’t scored a goal at the World Cup as of yet, but has made up for it by notching up a trio of assists.
Julian Ryerson
We felt that Julian Ryerson flew under the radar last season in the Bundesliga. Registering 15 assists from right-back for Borussia Dortmund in the league, he is amongst the best attacking full-backs in the world right now.
We haven’t seen him replicate this level of creativity at the World Cup yet, but England are a team who like to leave space in behind – this could be just what Ryerson needs to unleash his greatest attributes.
According to a report from German outlet Bild, Ryerson has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United – could we soon see him plying his trade in the Premier League?
Andreas Schjelderup
Andreas Schjelderup has only started in one of Norway’s five games at the World Cup thus far – nevertheless, he has proven to be a very effective super-sub.
Notching up three assists over the course of five appearances, with two of them coming against Brazil, he can be a real threat when introduced late on.
He was a forced to be reckoned with in the Primeira Liga for Benfica last season. Notching up seven goals and registering six assists, he could be a real thorn in England’s side.
Antonio Nusa
A rapid winger with fantastic ball control and an eye for goal, we perhaps haven’t seen the best of Antonio Nusa at the World Cup thus far. Is he saving it all for the latter stages of the competition?
If so, England will need to exercise extreme caution. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the Three Lions like to field a high line – against a wide man with Nusa’s explosive pace, this could be a death sentence.
With that being said, he only has one goal contribution in the World Cup at this stage. Granted, it was a worldie – but we expected more from such a wonderful talent.
Erling Haaland
You all knew this was coming. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is one of the best strikers in the world – if not one of the best footballers in the world altogether.
An absolute superstar who needs no introduction, Haaland has made a career out of bullying defenders and finding the back of the net by after punctuating lightning-quick counter-attacks.
He is a very difficult player to prepare for, especially for a team such as England – neither of their first-team centre-backs are especially strong. If Haaland can consistently get the better of either of them, the Three Lions could be in for a rough night.