Former England captain John Terry has warned that England must find a way to neutralise Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard if they are to overcome Norway and book a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the Chelsea legend identified the Manchester City striker and the Arsenal captain as the key figures behind Norway’s impressive campaign, insisting England’s hopes of progressing depend on limiting their influence.
“Listen, Norway are a good side. I think they are well drilled,” Terry said. “I think everything that goes well through that team goes through Martin Ødegaard. If England stop him and Erling Haaland, then we have a big, big chance.”
England face Norway on Saturday in a highly anticipated quarter-final after both nations produced memorable performances in the Round of 16. England secured an impressive victory over Mexico, while Norway stunned five-time world champions Brazil, with Haaland scoring twice to send the Scandinavians into the last eight for the first time.
Terry believes Norway’s attacking threat is built around the understanding between Ødegaard and Haaland. The Arsenal playmaker has dictated the tempo of Norway’s attacks throughout the tournament, while Haaland has continued to demonstrate the ruthless finishing that has made him one of the world’s most feared strikers.
The former defender, who won 78 caps for England, stopped short of suggesting a specific tactical approach but stressed that England would need a disciplined collective performance rather than relying on individual man-marking to contain Norway’s biggest stars.
While acknowledging that Norway possess quality throughout the squad, Terry maintained that disrupting the partnership between Ødegaard and Haaland would significantly improve England’s chances of reaching the semi-finals.
England will hold their final training session on Friday before the coaching staff confirm the starting line-up for the decisive encounter, with a place in the last four of the World Cup at stake.
