Paul Scholes backs England to beat Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals but believes Thomas Tuchel's side will struggle once they meet elite opposition, with Erling Haaland shaping the next hurdle.
19-year-old Leipzig midfielder Diomande denies being distracted by online transfer rumors, saying the World Cup is his sole focus for now; head coach Faé confirmed Singo is unavailable and Ndicka is back, and urged the team to stay alert to Haaland and Norway's lethal efficiency.
France's Dembélé scored a first-half hat-trick. Norway manager Solskjær still praised his substitutes' attacking display after rotating ten starters, and explained why he rested key players including Haaland to focus fully on the Round of 16 clash with Ivory Coast.
After Norway clinched a World Cup knockout spot early, Haaland said he had little interest in the final group game against France and predicted France would likely win and possibly take the title; Solskjær still vowed to help him chase the Golden Boot, with Haaland level on four goals with Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. while Messi leads with five.
At least five players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are following in their fathers' World Cup footsteps, with updated three-generation lists for the Simeone, Haaland and Zidane families.
Norway opened their World Cup campaign with a four-goal win as Haaland scored twice in the first half. Iraq pulled one back through Aymen Hussein but could not prevent defeat.
Senegal suffered a comeback defeat to France in their World Cup opener, with Thioub admitting the back line was too passive; they face Haaland's Norway on Monday.
Two-time World Cup veteran Henning Berg says that with Norway returning to a major tournament after many years away, national expectations have risen beyond simply being there — and Haaland's form will be the key.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez confirmed on Thursday that the club will submit a record offer of at least €150 million, announced recruitment moves for Konaté, Mourinho and Dumfries, and denied Haaland transfer rumors.
Real Madrid's presidential race is heating up. On a Spanish talk show, Riquelme dropped a bombshell pledge: if he defeats Florentino and wins the election, he will guarantee Haaland joins with 100% certainty.
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