Norway illness scare hands England potential edge ahead of World Cup quarter-final

Norway are battling a sickness bug within their squad ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final against England on Saturday, July 11, in a development that could hand the Three Lions a significant advantage going into the last eight.

Reports suggest the illness has emerged after Norway’s demanding travel schedule across North America during the tournament, with the squad’s extensive movement between host cities potentially taking a physical toll in the days leading up to one of the most high-profile ties of the competition.

England will be monitoring the situation closely as they prepare for a quarter-final that was already shaping up to be a closely contested affair. Any disruption to Norway’s preparations — whether through players being unavailable or simply below full fitness — could prove decisive at this stage of the tournament.

Elsewhere at the World Cup, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko made explosive claims following his side’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta, Georgia, alleging the match had been manipulated. Argentina had trailed 2-0 before scoring three unanswered goals in one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament so far.

“It was a rigged game. It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us. Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems,” Ziko said.

Egypt’s frustration centred on a VAR decision that ruled out a goal for an apparent foul on Nicolas Tagliafico, as well as the failure to award a penalty in the moments before Argentina’s winning strike. Argentina, the reigning world champions, now advance to the quarter-finals and keep alive their bid to retain the title.

FIFA also quietly issued bans to two United States football officials following the USMNT’s 4-1 defeat to Belgium. Team manager Sam Zapatka and US Soccer vice president of security Frank Pannell were both handed suspensions, confirmed via FIFA’s official website.

The quarter-final schedule begins on Thursday, July 9, when France face Morocco at Boston Stadium, with Kylian Mbappé looking to close the gap on Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Spain meet Belgium on Friday, July 10, before Norway and England kick off on Saturday, July 11, and Argentina face Switzerland in the early hours of Sunday, July 12.