New Delhi: As Norway gears up for the quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against England, Erling Haaland steals all the headlines for their historic run with seven goals. But behind the squad’s achievements stands midfield maestro Martin Odegaard whose statistics have been spectacular in the world’s biggest football tournament.
He now stands first in the list of six things: Most assists (3), successful passes in the final third (102), successful passes in the opposition penalty box (20), defensive line-breaking passes (7), high-intensity counter pressures (24), and successful carriers (104).
Following Brazil’s shock exit at the hands of Norway in the quarter finals, Vinicious Jr admitted that Odegaard completely outmanoeuvred the five-time world champion.
“They controlled the game as Odegaard always does, and we couldn’t figure out the timing to press them and win the ball back,” he said.
The former Manchester City player Pablo Zabaleta praised Odegaard’s relentless off-the-ball effort, particularly highlighting his defensive commitment.
“He is a really clever player. He always knows where the space is. He likes to always move between the lines. He has the capacity to drive the ball forward and get into the box and give their team a chance,” he had said after Norway’s group stage game against the Ivory Coast.
Also read: Meet Haaland, ‘Jaat of Norway’—the World Cup Viking who loves butter chicken & goals
‘Anything can happen in football’
On early Sunday, Thomas Tuchel’s England enters the match after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico, while Norway heads into their first-ever World Cup quarter-final following a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil.
Odegaard, an Arsenal player, is aware of the quality that the England national team carries.
“Outstanding players, world-class players, playing for probably one of the best national teams in the world at the moment, so it’s going to be a big test for us. But I think Brazil was the same. We were the underdogs and, as you saw, anything can happen in football,” he said.
Odegaard agreed that most of the playing styles of English players are known to him.
“It’s true that a lot of us play in England, so we know them quite well. Obviously, we’ve been playing against a lot of these players in the league, so we know them but it’s about the whole team,” he said. “We have to be prepared, we have to analyse the opponent like we always do and we have to have the belief in ourselves.”
Norway will face England at the Miami Hard Rock Stadium, where temperatures are hovering between 33°C and 34°C during the local kick-off time. Due to extreme humidity, the “Real Feel” index is expected to sit between 40°C and 43°C.