The match was considered one of England’s best ever World Cup results, and they were rewarded with a match against Norway in the quarter-finals. A victory over the Nordic nation would seal England’s place in the World Cup semi-finals for the second time since 1990.
If that is to happen, England will need to stop Manchester City ace Erling Haaland from scoring, having scored seven goals so far. Only Lionel Messi has scored more goals in this summer’s tournament, with Norway continuing their historic run.
Norway last qualified for the World Cup in 1998, but they had never before reached the final eight of the tournament. History beckons to either team on Saturday, but there are other factors at play in this weekend’s matchup.
That’s because four England players are at risk of missing out on the semi-finals, even if they qualify, due to their accumulated yellow cards. The most likely of these are midfield duo Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, who earned spots in England’s games against Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively.
Like Arsenal and Real Madrid stars, Nico O’Reilly will also be named for the match against Norway and will be forced to miss the semi-final if England win. The star player was unlucky to receive a yellow card against Mexico, with City team-mate Marc Guehi also set to feature for the Aztecs.
All four players have been key players for England so far this summer, and it would be a major headache for manager Thomas Tuchel if they were suspended for a game in which they are expected to qualify for the semi-finals. The good news for England is that if they reach the semi-finals, their yellow card count will be erased, so there is no risk of a cumulative suspension in the final.
If England beat Norway, it seems likely that their semi-final opponent will be Argentina. They will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, and the remaining two games to advance to the last eight, France vs. Morocco and Spain vs. Belgium, will be played on the other side.
