Stopping Erling Haaland would be “huge” but the Norwegian juggernaut is not the only threat to England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final, Manchester City team-mate Nico O’Reilly said on Thursday.
Haaland was at his best in the 2026 tournament, scoring seven goals and firing his team into the quarter-finals for the first time.
There will be plenty of club connections on the pitch in Miami on Saturday, with Haaland likely to face O’Reilly and centre-back Marc Guehi.
Arsenal are also well represented, with Norwegian captain Martin Odegaard potentially facing Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Thomas Tuchel’s men reached the last eight after an enthralling back-to-the-wall win against co-hosts Mexico, which saw the score reduced to 10 men when defender Jarell Quansah was sent off.
Left-back O’Reilly told reporters at England’s base in Kansas City that Haaland was the main man for Norway, but said the team was not a one-man band.
«No, not at all. They have great players all over the pitch who can cause a lot of danger. Obviously they showed this tournament by reaching the quarter-finals and making history for themselves. But yes, if we can keep him quiet that would of course be a big factor,» he said.
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The 21-year-old played down concerns about England’s defence, which has been hit by injuries and a two-match suspension for Quansah.
«It’s obviously not ideal, but we have great players here. As you saw in the last game, the impact from the bench to go into the backline and be so solid with ten men – no problem,» he said.
Arsenal striker Saka said England posed a «unique threat», with players all over the pitch capable of scoring and creating, even though Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been responsible for 10 of the team’s 11 goals so far.
He admitted the Three Lions had the advantage of more experience at the sharp end of tournaments and did not shy away from stating their ultimate goal was to win the World Cup.
England have been regular contenders in recent years but have not won a major trophy since winning the World Cup on home soil 60 years ago.
«That’s obviously our goal. But we’re only focused on the next match, because we know there are literally three matches in between at the moment. So we’re just focusing on Norway right now, and then it will be the semi-final,» Saka said.
The 24-year-old said England had mentally reset after the dramatic win at the Estadio Azteca.
«The focus now is really on putting Mexico behind us, all the emotions and the drama of that game. We took it all in, and now we’re just preparing for Norway because we know it’s going to be a tough game in Miami,» he said.
Published on July 10, 2026
