The FIFA World Cup has reached the quarter-final with a very fun matchup slated for Saturday. Norway’s run through the tournament has been impressive primarily behind Golden Boot candidate Erling Haaland, whose leg has powered his nation to its deepest appearance in history. He faces still competition in fellow top goalscorer Harry Kane and his England squad, who are still yet to play their best football over the last several weeks.
Kickoff for Norway vs. England is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 11 in Miami. Let’s dive in for a top prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this 2026 FIFA World Cup match in the quarter-final.
Best bet for Norway vs. England
- Over 2.5 total goals: England still doesn’t appear to have fully gelled as a unit, showing more flashes of ceiling than consistent access to the squad’s cumulative upside. A leaky back line may be a problem against cyborg goalscorer Erling Haaland, who just like the Terminator, keeps going until the mission is accomplished. Norway could upset, but it’s much safer to take the over on 2.5 combined goals given that Harry Kane’s presence means two of the best finishers in the world will share the pitch — plus, it doesn’t hurt that Jude Bellingham is out there, too.
Norway vs. England prediction, pick
It’s certainly been a tournament to remember for Norway. While the FIFA World Rankings are unofficial until July 20, the nation has moved up 12 spots to 19th. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Norwegian side holds +1500 odds to win the World Cup.
Norway downed Iraq 4-1 to open Group I play before a 3-2 upset over Senegal, though that three-game set ended with a 4-1 loss to France. All in all, the Norwegians headed into the knockout rounds with six points and a +1 goal differential. The Round of 32 saw them down Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 to take down a fan favorite of the tournament, but that wasn’t the most thrilling result for this group. In the Round of 16, Norway downed Brazil 2-1 to eliminate one of the top sides in the entire World Cup field — the scoring in that one came via a brace from Erling Haaland. This tournament has served as an introduction to the superstar striker for casual football fans. He now sits tied for second in the Golden Boot race with seven goals. It’s not just him pulling the load though, with captain Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa and Sander Berge all playing integral roles.
The competition they face is quite fierce. England still ranks No. 4 in the latest FIFA World Rankings and has moved to +470 odds to win the World Cup outright. There are still questions, though.
On paper, the Three Lions should dominate on this stage thanks to their star power and depth throughout the squad. Thomas Tuchel’s side is yet to perform up to its potential over most of the sample, though. Yes, England won its group with seven points and a +4 differential, advancing through the first two knockout games to this quarter-final. A 4-2 win over Croatia in the opener was the English’s best showing of the World Cup so far, and it was followed by a 0-0 draw against Ghana before an underwhelming 2-0 victory vs. Panama. That got them to the elimination stages, but it took a Harry Kane brace at 75′ and 86′ to salvage the day for a 2-1 win against DR Congo. England led Mexico 3-0 at one point in the Round of 16, but even that match ended in a narrow 3-2 victory that saw the favorites threated down the stretch while down to 10 men.
Kane has six goals so far and the side has gotten another four from Bellingham, and there’s a ton of attacking talent between Saka, Anthony Gordon and more. However, the back line is arguably suspect, which could play a key role in this fixture.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, England is a -115 favorite on the Moneyline in regular time and holds -225 odds to advance. Norway enters as a +310 underdog on the Moneyline with +180 odds to move on. Bettors can also take a draw at +270 value.
It’s been a very fun World Cup for the Norwegians thus far — it’s difficult not to see Haaland and the squad pound the drum after a match and smile. The star striker is the center to success for his nation and is practically impossible to stop. At 6-foot-5 with unbelievable motor to put the ball in the net, he’s an outright cyborg on the pitch that defenses must account for. Even if opponents pressure him plenty, he still finds ways to score impossible goals time and again. Against a leaky back line for England, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him nearly singlehandedly keep Norway in this match.
The English still don’t appear to have fully gelled as a cohesive unit despite all their talent, showing more flashes than consistent prowess in this World Cup. They do still maintain the advantage in this one though, so it would be surprising to see this end in a blowout. With two of the best finishers in the world on the pitch, watch for this one to go over 2.5 combined goals.
Best Bet: Over 2.5 total goals (-130)
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