England’s reward for surviving the Azteca is a World Cup quarter-final against Norway at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday, kick-off 10pm BST.
The tie sets up a heavyweight individual contest with an unmistakable Everton thread running through it. Jordan Pickford, fresh from his match-winning display against Mexico, will face Erling Haaland, the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals heading into the last eight.
Haaland scored both in Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16, extending a qualifying campaign in which he scored 16 times, a run UEFA’s profile of Norway’s World Cup squad describes as central to the country’s first finals appearance since 1998.
Stale Solbakken’s side also has Martin Odegaard in midfield, giving England two genuine world-class threats to contain rather than one.
| Date | Fixture | Score | Haaland | Pickford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2022 | Man City v Everton (Etihad) | 1-1 | Scored (24′) after rounding Pickford earlier in the game and shooting into the side-netting | Beaten by Haaland’s turn-and-finish; saved a late goalmouth effort from Riyad Mahrez to help Everton hold on |
| 14 May 2023 | Everton v Man City (Goodison Park) | 0-3 | Scored (39′) | Conceded three, including Haaland’s goal |
| 10 Feb 2024 | Man City v Everton (Etihad) | 2-0 | Scored twice, both after half-time | Beaten twice by Haaland in the second half |
| 26 Dec 2024 | Man City v Everton (Etihad) | 1-1 | Penalty saved; later had a follow-up header ruled offside | Saved Haaland’s second-half penalty — the first of his career stopped by a goalkeeper in the Premier League |
| 18 Oct 2025 | Man City v Everton (Etihad) | 2-0 | Scored twice (58′, 63′) | Saved efforts from Doku and Savinho either side of half-time, then denied Haaland a hat-trick with two stoppage-time saves |
| 4 May 2026 | Everton v Man City (Hill Dickinson Stadium) | 3-3 | Scored (83′) as City fought back from 3-1 down | Blocked an O’Reilly effort for a corner in the first half; beaten by Haaland’s finish late on as City rescued a point |
Thomas Tuchel’s squad make the trip without Jarrell Quansah, suspended after his red card against Mexico.
Reece James remains a doubt, while Djed Spence, who came off the bench in Mexico City, is available throughout, according to Sky Sports’ breakdown of England’s route through the knockout stages.
A full breakdown of team news, form and the tactical picture will follow closer to kick-off. For now, Saturday’s story is already clear enough: England’s goalkeeper against the best striker at the tournament, with a quarter-final place at stake.
