FIFA might have to make another big decision before England plays Norway.
FIFA might have to make another big decision before England’s quarter-final match against Norway at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel’s team made it to the last eight with an exciting 3-2 win over Mexico early Monday morning. Jude Bellingham scored twice, and Harry Kane added a penalty to help the Three Lions win, even after Jarell Quansah was sent off for a tough challenge on Jesus Gallardo, leaving them with 10 players.
After Quansah’s red card in the 54th minute, England showed some great defending, making fans nervous during the last 40 minutes at the Azteca Stadium and back home. But the drama wasn’t just on the pitch—FIFA also thought about moving the game six hours earlier because of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms.
The game was originally set to start at 6pm local time (1am BST), then delayed by an hour, and now there might be more changes before their quarter-final match. The US National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for South Florida, warning that it could feel as hot as 43°C due to heat and humidity. On top of that, thunderstorms are expected to come back before the weekend. This is a big deal because FIFA has safety rules to pause games if lightning happens within eight miles of the stadium.
The England vs. Norway game, featuring Erling Haaland, is planned for 10pm BST (5pm local time), but the heat and storm risk could cause delays, which isn’t ideal.
While England fans get ready for another late night, there have been some other problems too. Jordan Henderson injured his arm after the Mexico game when he fell over the advertising boards at the stadium. He had surgery on his arm, but teammate Dan Burn is hopeful he can still play in the tournament.
“I might have made it look too easy when I jumped over,” Burn joked in a media interview. “I heard the noise right after, and with Hendo, if he doesn’t get up, you know something’s wrong. He’s had his operation now and hopefully, he can still play.”
Henderson’s injury isn’t the only concern. Marc Guehi has a hamstring problem that might keep him out. It’s not serious, but he will be checked on Friday, and missing the last practice could mean he won’t play against Norway.
Declan Rice has also missed two training days due to a sickness bug, and the team is trying hard to prevent it from spreading.
On a brighter note, Reece James is back in full training and could play in the match as England aims to reach the semi-finals for the second time in three tries.