Storm warning for England's Norway quarter-final as Shearer backs the run

Thunderstorms threaten Saturday's quarter-final

Your World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday could be delayed. Thunderstorms are forecast for the area around the stadium, and kick-off time may be moved (2). England face Erling Haaland and a Norway side that has looked dangerous, but now the weather might throw its own punch at the schedule.

Shearer is a believer now

Alan Shearer has changed his tune. "I've changed my mind, we might actually be able to win this thing," the former England captain said (4). That is not something Shearer hands out lightly. England have scored 11 goals in this tournament, and 10 of them came from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The double act is carrying you into the deep end and even the sceptics are buckling.

Rogers on Haaland: don't let him turn

Morgan Rogers has been studying how to stop Erling Haaland. His conclusion: the key is preventing Haaland from turning and facing goal. "As soon as he's facing forward, it's a different problem," Rogers said (3). Dan Burn wants the assignment too, the defender told Norwegian press he is "more than ready" to mark Haaland (6). The whole squad sounds up for it.

Norway are calm and talking

Morten Thorsby, Kristian Thorstvedt, and Haaland himself met the press on Thursday ahead of Saturday's match (5). The Norwegian camp sound relaxed. They know they are underdogs, but a team with Haaland leading the line does not need many chances. England beat Mexico 3–2 in a wild round of 16 tie, Jordan Pickford earned praise for his performance in that one (1). Norway will punish the same kind of defensive gaps.

Henderson blow confirmed

The only real cloud over the camp, aside from the literal storm, is Jordan Henderson's tournament-ending injury. Tuchel has praised the squad's character after the Mexico win, where they fought back from a red card and other setbacks. That resilience gets tested again on Saturday.

Fan-reaktioner

The mood online is somewhere between giddy and surreal. A clip of Peter Crouch receiving a legacy cap from Harry Kane and the squad is doing the rounds, and fans are loving the vibes (/r/soccer). Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has reportedly hinted at a bank holiday if England go all the way, the replies are a mix of dreamers and people who have been hurt before (/r/soccer). One Reddit thread summed it up: a World Cup final without Argentina, Spain, or France would be refreshing and fun. Norway, Morocco, England, or Belgium, any of those would do (/r/worldcup).