England midfielder Morgan Rogers has admitted there may be no perfect way to stop Norway striker Erling Haaland ahead of the teams’ FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final on Saturday. With a place in the semi-finals at stake, England will face a Norwegian attack led by Haaland, who has already scored seven goals at the tournament. Asked how England planned to contain him, Rogers replied, “Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland? Not sure they have, but we’re gonna try.”

Rogers said England’s best approach could be to restrict the service reaching Haaland rather than focusing only on stopping the striker once he receives the ball. He described the Manchester City forward as an unbelievable player whose scoring record shows how dangerous he is in front of goal. The England midfielder said his team would need to prevent passes from reaching Haaland and limit the opportunities he gets inside dangerous areas.

The 23-year-old Rogers is familiar with facing Haaland at club level, with Aston Villa keeping the Norwegian scoreless during Manchester City’s last four visits to Villa Park. However, Rogers played down the significance of that record and warned that Norway’s threat extends beyond their star striker. He highlighted the quality throughout the Norwegian squad, including Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, as England prepare for a demanding quarter-final.

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England enter the match after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 despite playing with 10 men for much of the contest. The physically demanding encounter left the squad exhausted after returning to their Kansas City base in the early hours of Monday. Rogers said the team had quickly shifted its focus to Norway and was determined to improve further as it prepares for one of the biggest matches of the players’ careers.

The squad also received a morale boost with the return of experienced midfielder Jordan Henderson, who rejoined his teammates after undergoing surgery on an arm injury suffered while celebrating the victory over Mexico. Rogers described Henderson as the “heartbeat of the group” and praised his positive attitude after returning to the squad smiling despite the difficulties he had faced over the previous two days.

England supporters have also embraced a new World Cup tradition by singing Oasis’ “Wonderwall” after matches, and Rogers joked that every English person should know the lyrics. On the pitch, however, the focus remains firmly on stopping Haaland and Norway. Thomas Tuchel’s side will hope their familiarity with the striker from the Premier League can help them overcome one of football’s most prolific scorers and secure another World Cup semi-final appearance.

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