England Favourites to Reach Semis, Says Norway Boss Solbakken — But There’s a Catch

England are favourites to reach the World Cup semi-finals — and it is Norway’s own manager saying it. Stale Solbakken told BBC Sport that the Three Lions go into Saturday’s quarter-final in Miami (22:00 BST) as the team to beat, before adding the qualifier that changes everything: “They are favourites, but they’re not big, big favourites.” Norway arrive having knocked out five-time world champions Brazil in the last 16, and Solbakken has already made his real point clear — the pressure, he says, sits with England.

What Solbakken Actually Said

Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Solbakken accepted England’s favourite tag but refused to inflate it. Later, at a news conference at the Miami Stadium, the former Wolves boss went further: “I think England have more pressure than us.”

It is textbook underdog framing, and it works because Norway have the receipts. A squad that has just eliminated Brazil does not need to talk itself up — it needs England thinking about what happens if they lose.

Norway Have Already Beaten a Giant

Knocking Brazil out of a World Cup is not a fluke you repeat by accident, and it reframes this quarter-final entirely. Norway got there by staying compact, denying central space and punishing transitions — the exact profile that has historically frustrated England when they are handed the ball and asked to break down a low block.

Back home, the mood has been described as the biggest event in Norway since the end of the war. In a one-off knockout tie, that kind of national momentum is not nothing.

The Real Pressure Question for England

England’s record in knockout football is the story that will not go away, and Solbakken has aimed straight at it. Reaching a World Cup semi-final would be a genuine step forward for this squad; losing to Norway after Brazil have already fallen to them would be filed alongside the tournament exits that still get replayed every summer.

The tactical task is clear: England will have the ball, so the game will be decided by how well they create in the final third against a packed defence, and by how disciplined they are against Norway’s counter-attack.

Prediction: England to Edge It — But Not Comfortably

England are rightly favourites. The depth of squad, the quality across the front line and the tournament experience all point one way, and Norway’s own manager concedes as much.

But a quarter-final compresses the gap. Expect a tight, low-scoring game with extra time firmly in play. Any side that has just knocked out Brazil deserves to be taken seriously until the final whistle.

FAQ