England will face Norway for a place in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals on Saturday, July 11. The quarter-final clash takes place at Miami Stadium, also known as Hard Rock Stadium, the 64,478-capacity home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Kick-off is scheduled for 5pm local time (ET), which is 10pm BST in the UK.
England's Historic Win Over Mexico
The Three Lions head into the match full of confidence after producing one of their greatest-ever major tournament wins on foreign soil against Mexico in the round of 16. Despite their superior squad on paper, the odds were stacked against England as they battled an in-form co-host at the high-altitude Estadio Azteca fortress, where Mexico had lost only two of 89 previous competitive matches over 60 years.
Thomas Tuchel's side defied underdog status to deliver a 3-2 victory in a pulsating contest, despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after Jarell Quansah's red card for a high tackle on Jesus Gallardo following a VAR review. The match was also delayed by one hour due to stormy weather.
Key Moments in the Mexico Match
England went 2-0 up in the first half after soaking up early pressure, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in 98 seconds. Mexico pulled one back before half-time through Julian Quinones' thumping effort. After Quansah's dismissal, Harry Kane converted a penalty following Raul Rangel's foul on Anthony Gordon. However, Kane then gave away a spot-kick by kicking the foot of Brian Gutierrez, which Raul Jimenez converted. England displayed an incredible defensive effort, with Jordan Pickford and substitute Dan Burn in imperious form.
Norway's Momentum
Norway are equally confident, riding a wave of momentum at their fourth World Cup finals and first since 1998. Erling Haaland is in sublime form, scoring two late goals to stun Brazil 2-1 in New Jersey. The Leeds-born Manchester City striker won his duel with Arsenal defender Gabriel, guiding Norway into the quarter-finals for the first time. Norway finished as runners-up to France in Group I and beat Ivory Coast in the last 32.
Head-to-Head History
This will be the first meeting between England and Norway since September 2014, when Wayne Rooney's second-half penalty secured a 1-0 friendly win at Wembley. They also met in Oslo two years earlier, with Ashley Young's early goal giving England a 1-0 win in a Euro 2012 warm-up. The last competitive meeting was in qualification for the 1994 World Cup, with Norway winning 2-0 in Oslo, contributing to England's failure to qualify.
What Time is the Match?
The game kicks off at 5pm ET (10pm BST) on Saturday, July 11. This is a more bearable time for UK fans than the delayed Mexico match, which began at 2am BST due to storms in Mexico City. According to Thomas Tuchel, "We showed incredible character against Mexico. The team believes we can go all the way."
