SportFootballStale SolbakkenNorway are relishing their role as underdogs ahead of facing England in the World Cup quarter-finals, and Stale Solbakken reckons that they can cause an upset in Miami21:34, 10 Jul 2026Stale Solbakken has insisted Norway believe they can beat England - but will have to be at their “very, very best” to go through. England are strong favourites to reach the semi-final as Norway are enjoying their first major tournament in 26 years.‌But Norway have already upset Brazil, Erling Haaland has scored seven goals and their fans are enjoying a remarkable ride under the former Wolves midfielder. Norway boss Solbakken said: “I think the players deep down think they can beat England but we will need to be at out very, very best but if we’re not then England will go through.‌“I think England has more pressure than us but we also put pressure on our performance and when the game starts I don’t think the players think about pressure. I think it’s something which is only spoken about before the game.‌“The fans have taken this World Cup with a smile, we’ve had some great nights before and we are enjoying it. It was 26 years since we last qualified for a major tournament so I think this is why you are seeing this approach.Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter“If you have not been in the World Cup for 28 years so you can never take it for granted to be in the last eight of this tournament.”‌Solbakken also admitted that his squad have been practising penalties while he believes Erling Haaland and Co. are not just a flash in a pan and Norway are more than just having a golden generation.Solbakken added: “We have prepared pretty well for penalties. We have a good order on the pitch for taking penalties but maybe something happens where you have to change things during the game.Who'll go through - England or Norway? Give us your prediction in the comments section.‌“If you look at the shootouts in the World Cup then it has not been a high quality and maybe that’s the pressure. I think the generation is spread a little bit because we have players over 30 or around 30 and then younger players as well who are still yet to peak. I don’t know if it’s this generation because it is spread and that is credit to the federation and Norway.”Solbakken also insisted that his side are not just a one man team as much as England do not rely solely on Harry Kane. He added: “I think it’s Norway v England but it’s no secret that Kane is the player for England and Erling is a big player for us. But don’t underestimate the clean sheets because we were so close to another in the last game against Brazil.”Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Stale SolbakkenEngland football teamWorld Cup 2026