Norway illness crisis, Olise appeal rejected and Marquez takes Mexico job: World Cup round-up

World Cup 2026: Key stories you need to know

England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway is approaching under a cloud of uncertainty in the Norwegian camp, with reports of a sickness bug circulating in the squad and internal friction over Alexander Sørloth being deployed out of position alongside Erling Haaland. Norway’s team logistics manager has described their preparations as “brutal” following a move away from their five-star hotel in Fort Lauderdale, though the illness reports have been officially downplayed.

Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken is set to address the media ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final, where the full picture of the camp’s condition is expected to become clearer. Whether the disruption amounts to a genuine crisis or pre-match noise remains to be seen, but the reports have added an unusual backdrop to what is already a high-stakes knockout tie for the Three Lions.

FIFA rejects France’s Olise appeal

France have been dealt a blow in their preparations after FIFA officially rejected their appeal to have Michael Olise’s yellow card overturned. The Bayern Munich winger was booked in the 97th minute of France’s match against Paraguay following an on-field altercation with Matías Galarza, and head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the governing body upheld the original decision despite a formal protest from the French federation.

Olise now sits on a booking and faces an automatic suspension from a potential semi-final should he receive another yellow card against Morocco on Thursday. The disciplinary situation places Deschamps in a difficult position as he weighs the winger’s importance to his side against the risk of losing him at the tournament’s latter stages.

Belgium lodge official pitch complaint

Norway are not the only side with grievances about their tournament conditions. Belgium have filed an official complaint with FIFA over the state of their training pitch, with team officials describing the patchy, uneven surface as unacceptable for a competition of this level. The squad has expressed significant unhappiness with their practice setup as they prepare for their own quarter-final.

Marquez appointed Mexico head coach

Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez has been officially named as the new head coach of the Mexico national team. The appointment sees Marquez step up from his previous coaching role to take charge of El Tri at the international level, adding another high-profile managerial change to a tournament that has already seen significant off-field movement.