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Norway head coach Stale Solbakken has urged his players to stay true to their style of football and not be overawed by the occasion as they prepare to face England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal, according to Reuters.
Speaking ahead of the high-stakes clash, Solbakken said his side's focus should remain on expressing themselves with the ball rather than being distracted by the magnitude of the occasion. "The most important thing for me is that we are ourselves with the ball and that we dare to play the game and not the whole environment, and that we concentrate on the pitch," Solbakken told reporters, as quoted by Reuters. The Norway coach stressed that his team must rely on its own strengths if it is to overcome England and continue its historic World Cup run. "I would like to see a Norway team that plays to their strengths and that we have to be ourselves," he added. Norway's tournament got off to a shaky start against Iraq, with Solbakken admitting his players seemed overwhelmed by the occasion in their group opener before finding their rhythm in a 4-1 victory. "You saw a very nervous team in the first 20 minutes against Iraq where we didn't manage to put two passes together," he said. "That has to do something with the occasion, that it was 26 years ago (since Norway's last major tournament) and no one had played in the World Cup before," he said. Solbakken praised England's wealth of attacking talent, highlighting Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane as major threats. "Obviously, when you meet a team like England who have great players on the wings. (Jude) Bellingham and (Harry) Kane, they can score from many positions," Solbakken said, as quoted by Reuters. The Norway coach also pointed to England's strength in midfield and stressed the importance of competing in that area while remaining disciplined defensively. "They have a great duo in the middle of the park. We need to compete there, we need to defend properly," he said. Despite England's quality, Solbakken expressed confidence in his squad's belief, insisting the players feel they are capable of causing an upset if they perform to their full potential. "The players deep down feel that they can beat England. But obviously, we have to be at our very, very best. If we are not, England will go through," he added. (ANI)
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