MIAMI GARDENS, FL ― Norway isn't treating making Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal against England as an expectation fulfilled.Before this year, the Red, White and Blue hadn't made a tournament appearance since they made the round of 16 in 1998, their best World Cup to date. Still, after nearly 30 years away, the outside aspirations are high for the 2026 squad, led by 25-year-old sensation Erling Haaland.In some football circles, there has been a growing thought that the Norwegians making the quarterfinals should be the team's minimum goal. Yet, head coach Ståle Solbakken says such a notion is silly."That was nonsense in relation to the fact that if you haven’t been to a World Cup in 28 years, it would be very strange, when you see which countries are left, that it should be a given," Solbakken said Friday, July 10. "Then, it’s not that easy to play football on a global scale ... but, we said that each match lives its own life, and we’ve taken it game by game."Solbakken says he wants his team to just play the game Saturday, keeping their minds on the pitch and not the environment at Hard Rock Stadium or the narratives such as Haaland versus England's superstar Harry Kane.For Norway and Solbakken, they know that success is never guaranteed as the World Cup goes on; the deeper into the tournament they go the higher the pressure will be, and each game will be perceived as that much more important. Still, Norway plans to embrace the moment and the pressure that comes with it. It's what the moment requires.“I think every game in this World Cup has been the most important and the greatest for Norwegian football, especially after we went into the knockout round. So, this is the third ‘most important’ game, and I think the players are in a relaxed but competitive mood," Solbakken said."So I think it’s a great balance they have. They are looking forward to the games, but, of course, they should also feel the pressure because I don’t think you could be at your very best if you don’t feel a little bit (of) pressure. But I think they have a very good mix of looking forward to it and feeling the pressure a little bit.”