World Cup Last Eight: Kane, Haaland and Messi chase semi-final glory

England and Norway will battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals on Saturday as Harry Kane and Erling Haaland prepare for a heavyweight clash between two of football’s most feared goal scorers.

The quarter-final showdown in Miami has been billed as a battle of elite finishers, with Kane leading England’s charge and Haaland powering Norway’s historic run in the tournament.

Kane has scored six goals so far, once again becoming England’s key figure after guiding the Three Lions past Mexico in a dramatic last-16 encounter despite playing with 10 men.

Haaland, meanwhile, has been unstoppable for Norway, scoring seven goals and helping the team reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

Norway’s impressive campaign has included a shock victory over Brazil, with their supporters’ famous Viking-style celebrations becoming one of the tournament’s biggest attractions.

Norway coach Stale Solbakken described the match as another historic moment for his country.

“Every game has been the most important in history for Norwegian football, especially in the knockout rounds,” he said.

Kane acknowledged Haaland’s quality, describing the Manchester City striker as “a beast,” but said they have different approaches to the game.

England received a boost ahead of the clash after Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James returned to training following injury and illness concerns.

Manager Thomas Tuchel said their return was “the best news” as England look to take another step towards the title.

Meanwhile, defending champions Argentina face Switzerland in another quarter-final showdown, with Lionel Messi aiming to continue his remarkable World Cup journey.

Messi, who turned 39 during the tournament, has once again been Argentina’s biggest influence, scoring 21 World Cup goals across six editions — a record achievement.

However, Argentina have faced tougher challenges in the knockout rounds, needing late moments of brilliance to overcome Cape Verde and Egypt.

Switzerland, led by midfielder Granit Xhaka, enter the match confident they can exploit any signs of fatigue from the reigning champions.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted Switzerland would provide a difficult test.

“They have very experienced players. They are strong. So it will be a tough opponent,” he said.

The winners of both quarter-finals will move closer to football’s biggest prize, with Spain and France already securing their place in the semi-finals after Spain’s late 2-1 victory over Belgium.