Illness Strikes Norway's Camp Ahead of England Match in World Cup 2026

SadaNews - The Norwegian national team is battling "influenza" within its training camp ahead of the anticipated match against England next Saturday, in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

Two players from the Scandinavian team have fallen ill during the team's journey to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in a major tournament, according to the British newspaper "The Telegraph".

Norway's head coach Ståle Solbakken confirmed that symptoms of "coughing and hoarseness" have been spreading among the more than 50 members of the traveling squad, which includes players and technical staff.

Crystal Palace striker Jørgen Strand Larsen missed Norway's opening match in the World Cup against Iraq due to illness, while Markus Holmgren Pedersen was absent from the Round of 16 match, in which Norway defeated Brazil due to a health issue.

Coach Solbakken himself suffered from severe coughing fits during the press conference following his team's 4-1 defeat against France.

Behind the Scenes of the Camp

In statements reported by Norwegian media, Solbakken said, "In reality, we only had Jørgen who was suffering from fever, but there was a bit of coughing and hoarseness evenly and sporadically among everyone. We are moving in a group of more than 50 people with air conditioning, flights, and locker rooms, so it would be strange if this player or that one didn’t get sick."

Regarding the details of Pedersen's absence from the match against Brazil, the coach clarified that the player did not have a fever and had been training normally. He spoke with the team doctor that morning and was fine, but his condition worsened later.

After winning against Brazil 2-1, the Norwegian coach appeared in the locker room saying to star Erling Haaland: "You can go out tonight."

Haaland, born in Leeds, is preparing to face England at the end of this week, aiming for the World Cup Golden Boot, as he currently leads the scoring chart with 7 goals, tied with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.

Following the victory, Solbakken granted his assistant staff a night off to celebrate, saying, "I let the coaching staff celebrate on their own; I was too tired, so I went to bed, re-watched the match, browsed my phone, answered some messages, and slept very little, but it was a good morning."

Regarding the upcoming match, he said, "We need to study England; we have seen them in their previous matches, and they will be a strong opponent. We hope it will be an equal and tightly contested match."

Tough Passage Against Mexico

On the other hand, the English team is getting a few days off before the focus shifts to the quarter-final match, which will take place in Miami, USA, next Saturday.

German coach Thomas Tuchel's team achieved one of the most notable results in modern World Cup history, overcoming several obstacles to win against the co-host team, Mexico, 3-2.

The English had to face the high altitude, the noisy local fans, and play with a numerical disadvantage after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off at the beginning of the second half, with exhausted players collapsing to the ground as soon as the final whistle blew after holding out with ten players.

After the match, captain Harry Kane said, "We progressed to the next round on an incredible night, and we appreciate the tremendous support from the fans in the stadium and those who stayed awake at home to watch us. The bonds with everyone have become stronger now, and we feel it more than ever. We will now recover and relax for a few days, then clearly start getting ready for a huge quarter-final match."

Source: Al Jazeera + Foreign Press