The most attractive confrontation will be between Norway and England, because it brings together a team that has broader individual options with a team whose success has been linked to the effectiveness of its striker, Erling Haaland.
Haaland reached the quarter-finals after scoring seven goals in four matches, including a brace that overturned Norway’s deficit against Brazil to a 2-1 victory. These numbers made him the primary source of danger to England, but they also revealed the extent of the Norwegians’ dependence on him. If the English defense succeeds in cutting off its supply and removing it from the penalty area, Norway’s offensive options will become limited.
On the other hand, England was not completely convinced despite its victory over Mexico 3-2. The national team has Harry Kane, Bellingham, and names capable of making a difference, but it showed defensive gaps that could be benefited by a competitor who is good at moving quickly and does not need many chances to score.
The match also includes a direct confrontation in the scorers’ race. Haaland has seven goals, compared to Kane’s six, while Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are ahead of them with eight goals. Therefore, the match may determine who qualifies for the semi-finals, and may also rearrange the competition for the Golden Boot.
Off the field, Haaland has become one of the most prominent faces of the tournament digitally. His interaction with the Mexican fans who supported him after their national team lost to England, and the spread of clips of the “Vikings” celebration, transformed him from a scoring star to a mass phenomenon. But this rise will now face the most important test: turning the hype into an achievement that leads Norway to the first semi-final in its history.
In the second match, Argentina seems closer to qualifying against Switzerland, but its path does not allow the task to be considered settled. The defending champion was forced to come back from a two-goal deficit against Egypt, which revealed defensive fragility that could turn into a problem against an organized team.
Switzerland does not have the same attacking power, but it is good at reducing space and slowing down the game, and it succeeded in eliminating Colombia on penalties. Her expected plan will be to keep the score tied for as long as possible, and gradually transfer the pressure to Argentina.
The irony is that Messi, at the age of 39, is still the first attacking solution for the defending champion. If Switzerland succeeds in limiting its influence, it may push the match towards extra time or penalty kicks, where technical differences become less influential.
The Norway-England match will be held at midnight, Saturday-Sunday, Beirut time, followed by the Argentina-Switzerland match at four in the morning. The two winners will meet in the semi-finals, in a confrontation that could bring Messi together with Haaland or put England in front of a new opportunity to end its long wait.
