Published On 7/8/2026
The Norwegian national team is waging a battle against “influenza” within its training camp, before the expected confrontation that will bring it together with its English counterpart, next Saturday, in the framework of the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Two players from the Scandinavian national team were exposed to the disease during the team’s march towards reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in a major tournament, according to the British newspaper “The Telegraph”.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
Meanwhile, Norway’s technical director, Stoll Solbakken, confirmed that symptoms of “cough and hoarseness” are constantly spreading among members of the traveling delegation, which includes more than 50 players, administrative and technical staff.
Crystal Palace striker Jurgen Strand Larsen missed Norway’s opening match in the World Cup against Iraq due to illness, while Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed the round of 16 match in which Norway won over Brazil due to a health illness.
Coach Solbakken himself also suffered from severe coughing attacks during the press conference that followed his team’s 4-1 defeat to France.
Behind the scenes of the camp
In statements reported by Norwegian media, Solbakken said: “Actually, we only had Jurgen who had a fever, but there was a little coughing and hoarseness evenly and scattered among everyone. We are moving in a group of more than 50 people with air conditioning, flights, and changing rooms, so it would be strange if this or that player did not get infected.”
Regarding the details of defender Pedersen’s absence from the match against Brazil, the coach explained that the player did not suffer from a fever and was training normally. He spoke with the team doctor in the morning and was fine, but his condition worsened later.
After beating Brazil 2-1, the Norway coach appeared in the dressing room and told star Erling Haaland: “You can go out tonight.”
Haaland, who was born in Leeds, is preparing to face England this weekend, with his sights set on winning the World Cup Golden Boot, as he currently tops the scorers list with 7 goals, equal to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
After the victory, Solbakken gave his assistant crew a night off to celebrate, saying: “I let the assistant crew celebrate themselves. I was very tired, so I went to bed and re-watched the match. I browsed the phone and answered some messages. I slept very little, but it was a good morning.”
Regarding the next match, he said: “We have to study England. We have seen them in their previous matches and they will be a strong opponent, and we hope that it will be a completely equal and closed confrontation.”
Difficult crossing in front of Mexico
On the other hand, the England team will have a few days of rest before attention turns to the quarter-final match, which will be held in the American city of Miami, next Saturday.
German coach Thomas Tuchel’s team achieved one of its most prominent results in the World Cup in recent memory, after overcoming several obstacles to win over the co-host, Mexico, with a score of 3-2.
The English were forced to face the high altitude above sea level and the noisy local fans, in addition to playing with a numerical disadvantage following the expulsion of defender Jarrell Quansah at the beginning of the second half, as the exhausted players collapsed to the ground immediately after the final whistle sounded after holding on with ten players.
After the match, captain Harry Kane said: “We qualified for the next round on an incredible night, and we appreciate the huge support from the fans in the stadium and those who stayed awake back home to follow us. The bonds with everyone are stronger now and we feel it more than ever. We will now recover and relax for a few days, and then we will obviously start preparing for a huge quarter-final match.”
