Norway struggling with sickness ahead of England clash in World Cup quarterfinals
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Norway struggling with sickness ahead of England clash in World Cup quarterfinals
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Erling Haaland #9 of Norway celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 05, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Image 2 shows Norway's defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen holding a cup while walking towards a bus, Image 3 shows Stale Solbakken coaching for Norway at the FIFA World Cup
Dylan Svoboda·NY Post Sports
·
3 min read
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Norway's World Cup run has hit an unexpected obstacle before its quarterfinal clash againstEngland.
The squad is dealing with sickness concerns ahead of Saturday's matchup in Miami, with multiple players battling symptoms throughout the tournament,according to Norwegian outlet Dagbladet.
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"We've had a few players who haven't been feeling well, but things are getting better," Norway manager Stale Solbakken said. "It's not ideal during a tournament, but we're managing the situation."
Erling Haaland of Norway celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 5, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Getty Images
The timing is far from ideal for Norway, which is coming off astunning Round of 16 win over Braziland now has to prepare for England while managing illness within the group.
Solbakken acknowledged that sickness has lingered around the team, though he downplayed the severity with his side just days away from one of the biggest games in the country's history.
Norway's defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen boards a bus after a press conference in Montclair, New Jersey, on July, 6, 2026 during the 2026 World Cup football tournament. AFP via Getty Images
"We've really only had Jorgen, who has had a fever," Solbakken said, per Dagbladet. "But then there's been a bit of coughing and rasping evenly, scattered throughout. But there's air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. We're over 50 people so it would be strange if one or the other didn't come."
Stale Solbakken, coach of Norway, during the Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway. WILLIAM VOLCOV/Shutterstock
Norway is already in the middle of its best World Cup run, having reached the quarterfinals for the first time after previous Round of 16 exits in 1938 and 1998.
The heavy travel and quick turnaround appear to have taken a toll during a tournament spread across North America, with Solbakken pointing to flights, air conditioning and changing rooms as possible factors.
Every match of the FIFA World Cup will air on either FOX or FOX Sports 1. If you don't have cable, you can take advantage of a DIRECTV free trial to stream it all.
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