Gordon urges England to shelve Mexico euphoria and refocus on Norway quarter-final

Anthony Gordon has told his England team-mates to move on from the emotion of their victory over Mexico and treat Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami as the only thing that matters.

Gordon was one of the standout performers in what many are calling England’s greatest win on foreign soil, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. But the winger was quick to pump the brakes on any lingering celebration, insisting the squad must reset before facing Erling Haaland and Norway.

“It was an amazing memory, some great moments made, but in reality that’s not what we came here for, just to win that game,” Gordon said. “I don’t want it to feel like that was the final. It was an emotional high but we kind of need to just get rid of it now and focus on what’s next.”

Gordon drew a pointed distinction between focusing on process and getting distracted by the prize, warning that losing sight of how England have played could derail their campaign.

“The minute we start looking at the outcome, the trophy, the medals — all the superficial stuff — is when we will fall off track,” he said. “We need to really focus on the process.”

Norway reached the last eight by eliminating Brazil, a result Gordon admitted did not surprise him. He revealed there was already a sense within the England camp that Haaland’s side were capable of causing an upset.

“To be honest, it was not a big shock for me. We were speaking among the squad and it was 50-50 in terms of who would win,” Gordon said. “If you look at the players, Norway can change a game really quickly. In the World Cup so far there have been quite a lot of upsets, so some of us expected Norway to win. I was one of them.”

He also reflected on the psychological toll of the Mexico aftermath, noting that praise can be just as draining as criticism. “Getting criticised can drain you but getting praise can drain you the same way, so we really need to move on from that,” he added.

England face Norway in Miami on Saturday in the World Cup quarter-finals.