Expectations increase for England, while Norway have nothing to lose in epic Miami showdown

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MIAMI — Strolling down Miami's South Beach, you see two very different vibes among England and Norway supporters.

On one hand England fans are swigging beer in the sun with a familiar slightly nervous look on their face as the pressure is now on their team to deliver. England fans are flooding to Miami, with over 30,000 expected for the game as stories of last-minute trips via here, there and everywhere flow as freely as the drinks.

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FOMO was very real among the England fans here in Miami.

Overall expectation levels from England’s fans was pretty low heading into this tournament. But Thomas Tuchel's team, ranked fourth in the world, are now three wins from glory and their first World Cup title since 1966 as their epic last 16 win against Mexico in Mexico City has boosted hopes they can finally win it all again.

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Confidence is now high among England’s fans in Miami

England are the favorites to beat Norway on Saturday and even though their fans have resisted the urge to chant 'It's coming home' for most of this tournament it could be heard near The Carlyle hotel on South Beach.

England's fans are now starting to dream they can go all the way. Confidence is high.

That means the expectation levels are now climbing back to the usually high, slightly unhealthy, levels.

"The pressure is on, 100 percent. The pressure is on to get to the next round," England fan Graham Ward, who has been to eight World Cups, said. "Once they get to the next round I don't think it matters what happens because that will probably be classed as an element of success. At this level a semifinal would be a good achievement considering who the other teams in play are."

Graham's wife, Julie, is confident England are going to win it all.

"They're going to do it, I just think it's going to happen," she said. "They feel like a unit. They feel like a team. I feel really good about it."

The general feeling among England fans is that Argentina and France will obviously be tough to get past. But there is a growing belief that this team has shown enough, so far, to handle the pressure in big moments.

A local taxi driver said he wants England to win the World Cup: "It would be nice to see them do it and to see a different team win it. It would be fun if England finally did it."

England fans Norman Bartlam, 68, (left) and Paul Dubberley, 67, pose on South Beach in Miami. Ahead of England’s game against Norway in the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Picture date: Thursday July 9, 2026. (Photo by James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)

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Norway playing with house money

While England's fans are now seriously dreaming about going all the way, Norway's fans are just happy to be here.

Their fans litter the famous art deco buildings around South Beach. They are almost always rowing with huge smiles on their faces as they can't believe they are in the quarterfinals.

This is the first time Norway's men's team has reached the last eight of the World Cup and there's a general sense of disbelief. Their players included.

"We need to go game-by-game and see how far we can go. Now we are in the quarterfinal in Miami and it is just crazy to say it out loud. I am so happy," Norway winger Andreas Schjelderup, who set up both of Erling Haaland's goals in the historic quarterfinal win against Brazil, said.

"On how much it means for Norway, I think we are changing the nation," Haaland explained. "We have been growing balls now over time on playing football and I think the way we play shows that Norway is a fantastic football team and we are actually one of the better teams in Europe and the world because what we’ve been doing is amazing. It took 28 years [to get back to the World Cup], took some time, I’m 25 years old so you can’t really blame me for that! It is unbelievable. I am proud of my country and I am proud of everyone.”

Schjelderup added this on the fans, who have done Norway proud at this World Cup, when speaking to Pro Soccer Talk: "I want to thank them for their amazing support. The row and everything is really amazing. I feel like it has really put the Norwegian people a lot closer. You can just see how happy everyone in Norway is right now."

Norway's fans and team are playing with house money. They have absolutely nothing to lose.

They're so happy to be here after unexpectedly beating Brazil. Speaking with their supporters in Boston, New Jersey and now Miami, the general theme is to keep enjoying the journey and to see what happens. There is no pressure.

"Everything is a bonus!" smiled one Norway fan.

Wearing Viking hats, rowing with locals and wearing scarves around their head, they are taking it all in their stride. That approach is working well for Norway and their vibe is extremely dangerous for England. Norway are calm and enjoying their historic run.

"We know we are still only Norway, we are a small country and everything," Norway's left back David Moller Wolfe smiled as he spoke to Pro Soccer Talk about the quarterfinal. "We are very humble but of course on our day we can create trouble for many, many teams... We are just enjoying."

England still enjoying the journey, even if the pressure is on

For England fans the focus is simple when it comes to the trouble Norway can cause them: stop Haaland and win the game.

"Stop the supply line to Haaland and we win the match," Ward said. "We will still probably win it, but it will make it easier."

All of the talk among England's fans is about how important Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are to their success at this World Cup and that they will deliver goals and assists again on Saturday.

Most of England's fans are now extremely confident of reaching a second World Cup semifinal in three tournaments, as long as Haaland is kept quiet.

"Everyone [has to play well], but especially Kane and Bellingham," Ward said. "I think England can play average and if they can stop the supply line to Haaland, I think we can play really average and easily win still."

England fans also praised Thomas Tuchel's "honesty" and him being "relatable" and sensible with his decisions so far at this tournament.

But whatever happens for England their diehard fans who over the years have seen them crash out of World Cups too often in the group stage or early in the knockout rounds on penalty kicks, are grateful to be in a third-straight World Cup quarterfinal.

"I've been to eight World Cups and you have to keep perspective," Ward said. "I hope people don't forget what Gareth Southgate did too. He was the one who created this environment and created a different approach for England. He took it from a club culture to a unity culture so it is different and naturally it is going to be better."

England have been getting better and improving throughout this World Cup and now the pressure is truly on.

Making the World Cup semifinals will be deemed as a success. Losing to Norway would mean this tournament is a failure. Before this quarterfinal has kicked off Norway has already won.

The narratives and expectation levels surrounding these two fanbases couldn't be more different in Miami ahead of this epic showdown.

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