World Cup: Thomas Tuchel & Harry Kane Ahead of Norway

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0:30at Whole Foods Market. If you are currently overpaying on software to run your business, remember this number, 10 ,000. That's the number of new businesses that join Odoo per month. Join Odoo today at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. At the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Football Daily Podcast with John Murray. Hello from Miami, Florida. I'm John Murray and this is a Football Daily special to preview England's World Cup quarterfinal here against Norway. Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and all. The team that knocked out Brazil in the last round. We're going to hear from the England captain, Harry Kane.

1:15We're going to hear from the England manager, Thomas Tuchel. But Paul Robinson is sitting alongside me, as you so often have during the course of this World Cup. Paul, this is, I think, a fascinating quarterfinal, England against Norway. John, it's special. It really is. England have been very lucky with the conditions that they've played in. The three outdoor games that they've had, it's poured with rain. It's been very much Manchester conditions. And obviously the indoor arenas are air-conditioned. But tomorrow, it's going to be very, very different. It's very hot here, as we both know, here in Miami.

1:52It's very hot, it's very humid, and they will face a difficult opposition in the weather. But, like you say, the Norwegian team are a very strong team, and Premier League proven players that we know. And in Miami, again, this is very different to anywhere else we've been. Where we're speaking to you from here, as we record this, it's a Friday night, and hundreds, thousands of Norwegian fans and England fans are pouring into this place. and it is Miami. We're next to the water. There are the sights and sounds that you would imagine from here and it is an extraordinary place to come to. And to think that the World Cup match is taking place here is, I have to say, it does mess with your mind.

2:35England flew in here today and remember this is where England started this World Cup, warming up and playing the matches in Florida. So they're back in Florida. They're trained up in Fort Lauderdale at the Inter-Miami coaching complex and the news was that Declan Rice, Mark Gay, Rhys James were all able to train. There were doubts about all of them, illness and injury, but all were able to train. So apart from Jordan Henderson, obviously, and the suspended Jarrell Kwanzaa, Thomas Tuchel has a clean bill of health. So let us hear from the England manager after the nail-biting drama of the wins against DR Congo and Mexico.

3:20I asked Thomas Tuchel tonight if he could assure the England football-watching and listening public this might be a smoother ride. I think deep down they love the drama if it comes to a good end. They love the drama more than a boring win, 100%. Everyone does. So if it has a good end, you're absolutely right. It's nerve-shredding and, of course, on the sideline as well. But we came out as winners both times and I think we deserved the wins, but it was hard, hard work. It was nervy and emotional rollercoaster, very draining. So we had our times to digest. We had enough days to digest and focus now on the challenge ahead, but no guarantees this will be the next tough one.

4:04For this match, this is as far as Norway have ever gone into a World Cup, whereas we know that the England squad, because of the recent tournaments, you've got a stack of experience of playing in the latter stages. of tournaments reaching finals. How do you make that count now? Players need to make it count. I never played in a quarterfinal for sure not as a player, so they will make it count. I think on a level that is maybe difficult to explain. We don't talk about this very much, but sometimes it's also nice if you experience something at the first time, like Norway, and you just ride the wave, and you overachieve, and you overachieve, and everything feels light, light, light.

4:46so this can sometimes help but I don't feel that the pressure puts us down at the moment I don't feel that the players play with fear or with anxiety on the other side I still feel that we have another gear in us that we have another level in us and we are ready to release it it's on the players to be honest we're not holding them back This is this disconnect that you're talking about? Yeah there's a slight disconnect in football terms to the way we played on highest level in the qualifying campaign, the way we played against Costa Rica in the last friendly before the World Cup, the way we played second half against Croatia.

5:23So we have glimpses, but not on the same level. I totally can accept it. I'm not angry. I'm not disappointed. This World Cup is a complicated tournament and it is just difficult to overcome strong, strong opponents. So full credit to the players, but still as a football coach and as their coach, I see the quality in training. I see what we did in the matches that I just said. And of course, we want to tap into this level of quality. And while the World Cup quarterfinal is new for you, you've been involved in numerous quarterfinals. So how can the coach make a difference at this stage? Yeah, it is.

6:04Of course, experience helps because be it good or bad, you can learn from them and you go through it. You prepare in a different way. if it's not the first time. And at the moment, we're very calm. We go through all our options. We train defensively. We train offensively. And the way is to encourage everyone to be brave and to actually go for it. We have nothing to lose because we haven't won anything yet. So there's nothing to lose. We want to go for it. We want to brave. We want to push the luck on our side. Good luck with it, Thomas. Thank you. So there we are, the England manager Thomas Tuchel on the eve of England's quarterfinal.

6:43Paul Robinson with me here, England World Cup goalkeeper. He's basically saying that this is where all of that experience that the England players have gleaned over the course of the last four tournaments against Norway, who have never been this far in a World Cup as a collective, this is where that experience has got to count. And I think for him, and he looks at the players that he's got there with the players that have got competitive experience, There's a lot of players in that England side now that have gone deep into tournaments and I think he understands that as well. We look at Rhys James, who's hopefully coming back into the side, John Stones is coming back into the side and Thomas Tuchel knows how to win things.

7:25You look at the trophies that he's won and that's why he's been brought in as England manager. And I think this may be where he comes into his pinnacle, if you like. We've seen his in-game management. His in-game management has been absolutely outstanding. You look at the Croatia game, he didn't defend weaknesses, he played to strengths. And then again in the last game, he went to a back five. And you look at the way that he played, I think you cannot criticise his in-game management for what he's done. I think he's been absolutely outstanding. However, we know what the headline act is in this quarterfinal.

8:00It will feature Harry Kane on one side and Erling Haaland on the other. For Harry Kane, this will be his 120th cap, which means that he will move alongside Wayne Rooney as the two men outfield players who have won more caps for England than anyone else. But Kane against Haaland, that is 73 goals against 58 goals for club and country this season. but when I had a chance to speak to Harry Kane I just wanted to know first if he's ever been as high with England after a performance as he was in the Azteca yeah it's right up there to be honest in my career just an incredible incredible game incredible high after the game and celebrations and traveling back arriving back at 7 8 a.m in the morning the sun's rising you're kind of just taking everything in it was a special night to be an England player I think to be an England fan to be in that stadium so yeah special night but as we know we're on to the next one now we have an important game tomorrow and we know how much it will mean for us and the fans to get through to the semi-final You must be aware of the fact that millions and millions of people stayed up listening watching were absolutely gripped by it in the middle of the night Yeah I think that's what makes these major tournaments, these World Cups so special is when you're watching it at different times and obviously we knew it was what ended up being 1 or 2 a.m.

9:24I think in the morning back home in England and game finishing at 4 or 5 a.m. Celebrating until the early, doing an all-nighter, kind of what I said before. I hope some of the boys and girls are doing all-nighters and just enjoying the celebrations. We hope for more of the same obviously tomorrow. We know how much the fans are behind us and the stadium will be rocking and there will be plenty of England fans here in Miami tomorrow. So it's another opportunity for us to do them proud. And in these recent tournaments, you know, this is familiar ground now, isn't it? A quarterfinal, fifth tournament in a row.

9:59You know what to expect. Yeah, we have experience in these games. I think not just international level, but I think at club level, when you go through the team, a lot of players playing in big games for their clubs as well, which obviously helps. But ultimately, it's about showing that on the pitch. We can talk as much as we want as a team and now in the press conference and with you guys, but we need to go out there and show that. against a really difficult team. So, quarter-funnel, the World Cup, you expect to play the best teams. And we do that. They're riding high, they're scoring goals, they're being really effective.

10:33So we need to show our best version if we want to get through. And it's an exciting opportunity to have that. There's obviously a lot more to this than just Harry Kane versus Erling Haaland. But tell me, has he, because of the numbers that he put together from a young age and when he came to the Premier League, and I know the other top strikers will no doubt have given you that inspiration as well. But did he make you think, this is a new force here, I've got to step up, match this? I don't think in particular, no. I think maybe subconsciously you're pushing each other from afar. We obviously play in different leagues and Kylian plays in a different league.

11:13So maybe from the outside just having the motivation to see how many goals we can score, see how much we can push the team but yeah I think if you you ask everyone you're more focused on what you can achieve and yeah for me personally this year has been been really special from that that front to score the amount of goals that that I have and show that you know even at 32 you can still improve and push and get better and and that'll be my mindset for many years to come so yeah I think you know all of us push each other on all top players you've seen throughout history end up having amazing seasons year after year because the consistency is really important.

11:55And I think since Erling's come in and scored the goals he has, of course he's shown that he can be at an incredible level every year he plays. And that just motivates me to be even better than what I've been. So Harry Kane, the England captain, and Erling Haaland, as we sit here looking ahead to this match on a vibrant Friday night in the centre of Miami. That is the headline act, Paul, but there's so much more to it than that. There's a lot of subplots around this game, but I think if you look at Harry Kane, Manoli Holland, that will always be the headline. And I think from England's point of view with Harry Kane, we've sat in press conferences, John, we've looked at Harry Kane, sat there at the front, and we've had this conversation.

12:41There's not many times where I've sat in a press conference and the player sat next to the manager has fielded more questions than the manager. And he is this superhero type of character now. And he's gone to that level. The goals that he's scored in this tournament, the way that he's pulled England up by the shoelaces and got them through. Captain, talisman leader, all the superlatives, keep going. You can use all of them for him. He's been excellent. I think the way that Thomas Tuchel has exposed Jude Bellingham to a point this season, leaving him out of the squad, leaving him out of the starting line-up.

13:16But with Harry Kane, we cannot do without Harry Kane. Jude Bellingham, yes, it's been proven that England can live without, but he's a big game player, a big, big game player. Harry Kane, England cannot live without. And this really is a game of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, but we have a better team behind Harry Kane than Norway do. Paul, thank you very much. Very much looking forward to sitting alongside you for the commentary. Five Live will be the place to listen to Norway, England. 10pm Saturday night UK time live with us from inside the Miami Dolphins Stadium also by the way you'll be able to watch a full rerun on Sunday morning on BBC 2 on the television and that starts at 6.45 but as I say for the live radio commentary 5 Live and BBC Sounds Mark Chapman is here with us he will be presenting 5 Live Sport from inside the stadium and our coverage begins at 8.30 UK time and don't forget, 10 o 'clock kick-off.

14:19There's this noise that you make. You don't decide to make it. It just comes out. I don't know why that's good either. But everyone makes it at the same time. It's a ball to Tierney! Listen to Huston Park! And it makes you feel... I don't know how to say it. We know that feeling. It's an early ball. I'm straightened into the top right hand corner. The FIFA World Cup 2026. 1.5 live in BBC Sounds.

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