Norway has been gripped by World Cup fever ahead of today’s huge quarter-final against England in Miami. Across the country, Norwegian flags are flying high, fan zones have been set up and supporters are counting down the hours until kick-off.
There is a real sense of belief that this team could make history. With stars such as Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard leading the way, expectations are as high as they have been for decades. For many Norwegians, though, today’s match also brings back memories of one of the most famous nights in the country’s football history.
More than 40 years ago, Norway pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over England in a World Cup qualifier at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.
England had gone into the match on September 9, 1981 as overwhelming favourites. Bryan Robson gave the visitors an early lead, but Roger Albertsen equalised before Hallvar Thoresen completed a famous comeback just six minutes later.
The victory is remembered just as much for what happened after the final whistle.
Legendary commentator Bjørge Lillelien, who was working for NRK, Norway’s state broadcaster and the country’s equivalent of the BBC, produced what many still regard as the greatest piece of football commentary ever broadcast.
He famously said: “We have beaten England! England, the birthplace of giants! Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana – we have beaten them all! We have beaten them all! Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher, I have a message for you in the middle of your election campaign. I have a message for you: Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!”
While that famous victory came more than four decades ago, there is a feeling across Norway that another memorable result could be possible. The country now has some of the biggest names in world football, and the optimism is clear to see.
That optimism has also been reflected across the Norwegian media, where newspapers and broadcasters have spent the past few days debating how today’s game might unfold.
However, there are also some worries. And one name keeps coming up more than any other – Jude Bellingham.
NRK’s football expert Kristoffer Løkberg said: “Bellingham has been fantastic until now in the World Cup. Clearly England’s best player alongside Harry Kane. There was a discussion before the World Cup on whether Morgan Rogers or Bellingham should start in the 10 position, but Bellingham showed from the first game that he is in top form and the player that Norway has to stop if there is going to be a semi-final.”
The Norwegian media has also spent plenty of time comparing Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
Experts at Norwegian TV channel TV2 pointed out that “if we look at the numbers of the two giants the last few seasons, they each dominate their own areas.
“No one in the world scores more goals per minute than Erling Braut Haaland does for Norway. He scores every 71st minute for Norway. Harry Kane scores every 108th minute for England.”
The TV2 experts also noted that Haaland has scored 59 goals in his last 50 international appearances, compared with Kane’s 36 in 50, while both players have six assists during that spell.
However, when club and international football are combined over the last three seasons, Kane comes out on top with 182 goals in 200 games compared with Haaland’s 163.
TV2 football expert Yaw Amankwah said: “Kane is a guaranteed goal scorer, in the same way as Haaland. If you give him a little finger, he’ll take the whole hand and then some.”
Even so, he still believes Haaland is the better striker.
He said: “I would choose Haaland because he is a better goal scorer. There are a lot of people who say Kane is better at build-up play, but what’s the goal? To get to the goal and score a goal. That’s where I think Haaland is better. He’s the best at the most important.”
The other issue worrying many journalists in Norway has nothing to do with England’s players. Instead, it’s the conditions in Miami.
After Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal in New Jersey, several players suffered cramps, with Norwegian media reporting that the humidity had been underestimated.
NRK expert Kristoffer Løkberg believes that the heat could become a real factor again.
He said: “You get affected but in the heat of the game with adrenaline, you forget. But suddenly you can hit the wall.”
Speaking to NRK, Norway manager Ståle Solbakken added: “It’s a good thing it’s Norway vs England where neither can say there is a big advantage or disadvantage for one or the other.
“It’s never smart to chase the ball the whole time, if it is how it will be tomorrow (Saturday). So we need to defend well too. They’ve got a Harry Kane and a Jude Bellingham in very good shape.”
There has also been speculation in England that Norway’s squad has been hit by a mystery illness. Norwegian media has dismissed those claims.
One of the country’s biggest newspapers, Nettavisen, quoted Solbakken as saying: “It’s very exaggerated compared to what I know.”
Norway vs England kicks off at 10pm.
