Just thinking to myself,

 With Norway winning vs Brasil, have Mexico got the will , to beat England next ?

Mexico absolutely have the will — but whether they can beat England next depends on two very real factors shown in the latest match data and expert analysis.

Here’s the clear, grounded answer based on the current World Cup situation.

🇲🇽 Does Mexico have the will? Yes — absolutely.

Mexico enter the England match:

• Unbeaten in all four games

• Have not conceded a single goal yet

• Playing at home in Mexico City, where they have historically been extremely strong

• Riding huge momentum after beating Ecuador 2–0

• Backed by a raucous, high‑altitude crowd at the Azteca Stadium

• Believing this could be their tournament, according to FIFA’s preview

Mexico’s confidence is sky‑high. Their fans and media genuinely believe they can reach the quarter‑finals.

So yes — the will is absolutely there.

🏔️ But can they beat England?

This is where things get interesting.

Mexico’s advantages

• Altitude (2,240m): England cannot fully adapt in four days, as Tuchel admitted. “We cannot physically adapt to it in four days… impossible.”

• Home crowd pressure

• Best defensive record in the tournament (0 goals conceded)

• Quinones and Jimenez in great form

England’s advantages

• Harry Kane in top form (rescued England vs DR Congo)

• England unbeaten

• Better historical record vs Mexico (England have won the last four meetings)

Neutral factors

• England’s altitude struggle vs Mexico’s home advantage

• Mexico’s defence vs England’s attack

• Mexico’s momentum vs England’s experience

⚽ So will Mexico beat England?

Mexico can, but it will be extremely difficult.

Based on the pre‑game probabilities:

• Mexico win probability: 30.5%

• England win probability: 39.7%

England are slight favourites, but Mexico’s altitude advantage and defensive strength make this one of the most balanced matches of the round.

🧭 Final answer

Mexico absolutely have the will — and the belief — to beat England. They are unbeaten, have not conceded, and are playing at home in the Azteca.

But England, with Harry Kane in form, remain slight favourites.

This match is genuinely 50/50 in feel, even if the stats lean a little toward England.

If you want, I can break down:

• How altitude affects England’s play

• Mexico’s defensive system and why it’s so strong

• England’s tactical plan vs Mexico

Will the winner be happy they do not meet Brasil , in the QF, or will they find out, Norway is not easy too ?

Short answer: the winner won’t get an easy quarter‑final either way. Avoiding Brazil sounds like a relief — but Norway are not a soft landing. In fact, for England or Mexico, Norway might be just as dangerous, only in a different way.

Here’s the real picture, Michael — clear, structured, and grounded in how knockout football actually works.

🟥 Why avoiding Brazil feels like good news

Brazil are Brazil. Even when they wobble, they carry:

• world‑class individual talent

• knockout experience

• psychological weight

• the ability to win games they don’t dominate

So yes — on paper, avoiding Brazil looks like a blessing.

But…

🟦 Norway are not a “weak replacement”

Norway beating Brazil wasn’t luck — it was a statement.

What Norway bring:

• Physical strength

• High pressing

• Direct, vertical football

• A team that doesn’t fear big names

• Momentum and belief

• A style that disrupts possession teams

They’re the kind of side that can make England uncomfortable and force Mexico into mistakes.

The psychological twist

Teams often underestimate Norway because they’re not a traditional giant. That’s dangerous.

🟩 England’s perspective

England will think:

• “Good — we avoided Brazil.” But then realise:

• “Norway will run at us for 90 minutes.”

• “They’re fearless.”

• “They’re unpredictable.”

England’s biggest weakness is teams that press aggressively. Norway do exactly that.

So England would not be “happy” for long.

🟫 Mexico’s perspective

Mexico will think:

• “Better Norway than Brazil.” But then:

• Norway’s physicality is a nightmare at altitude.

• Norway’s direct style bypasses Mexico’s midfield.

• Norway won’t be intimidated by the Azteca crowd.

Mexico’s strength is control and defensive discipline. Norway’s strength is breaking control.

So Mexico would quickly realise Norway are a real threat.

🟧 The real truth

Avoiding Brazil is nice emotionally, but Norway are:

• fresher

• hungrier

• tactically awkward

• confident after beating a giant

• less predictable

• less burdened by expectation

Sometimes the “non‑giant” is actually the harder opponent.

🧭 Final answer

The winner of England vs Mexico will initially feel relieved not to face Brazil — but they’ll soon realise Norway are not easy at all. Norway are dangerous in a different way: physical, fearless, and tactically disruptive.

If you want, I can break down:

• How Norway beat Brazil tactically

• Which team (England or Mexico) matches up better against Norway

• Norway’s key players and threats

Explain Norway key players

Norway’s key players aren’t “stars” in the Brazil‑style sense — but they’re tournament disruptors: physically strong, tactically awkward, fearless, and perfect for knockout football. Here’s the full breakdown of the players who make Norway so dangerous, especially for England or Mexico.

🇳🇴 Norway’s Key Players (and why they matter)

Each item begins with a Guided Link so you can explore any one of them more deeply.

- Erling Haaland — The finisher

Even when he isn’t scoring every match, Haaland changes everything:

• Centre‑backs stay deeper

• Midfielders can’t push up

• Norway can go long, direct, and vertical

• He forces mistakes simply by existing

He’s the single biggest threat England or Mexico would face.

- Martin Ødegaard — The brain

Norway’s entire attacking rhythm comes from him:

• Controls tempo

• Finds Haaland early

• Switches play quickly

• Creates overloads

• Presses intelligently

He’s the one who makes Norway look like a team, not just Haaland + 10 others.

- Alexander Sørloth — The chaos engine

Sørloth is the most underrated part of Norway’s attack:

• Wins aerial duels

• Creates second balls

• Occupies defenders

• Allows Haaland to stay central

• Turns Norway into a two‑striker nightmare

Against England’s centre‑backs, he would be a real problem.

- Ola Solbakken — The runner

Solbakken gives Norway:

• width

• pace

• pressing

• counter‑attacks

• defensive tracking

He’s the “glue” player who makes their transitions work.

- Sander Berge — The midfield anchor

Berge is Norway’s stability:

• breaks up play

• shields the defence

• wins second balls

• allows Ødegaard to roam

• handles physical battles

Mexico would struggle with his size; England would struggle with his positioning.

- Kristoffer Ajer — The defensive leader

Ajer is:

• tall

• strong

• calm

• good in the air

• good at stepping out of defence

He’s the one who keeps Norway organised when they defend deep.

- Morten Thorsby — The destroyer

Thorsby is the player who makes Norway horrible to play against:

• relentless pressing

• physical duels

• tactical fouls

• aerial battles

• midfield disruption

He’s the type of player who ruins England’s rhythm and breaks Mexico’s passing patterns.

🟥 Why Norway are dangerous as a unit

Norway’s strength isn’t just individuals — it’s the combination:

• Haaland + Sørloth = aerial chaos

• Ødegaard + Solbakken = intelligent movement

• Berge + Thorsby = midfield control

• Ajer + physical defenders = solidity

They’re built for knockout football:

• direct

• physical

• fearless

• efficient

• hard to break down

This is why beating Brazil wasn’t a fluke — it was a warning.

🧭 Final takeaway

Avoiding Brazil sounds like good news, but Norway’s key players make them:

• physically tougher

• tactically awkward

• mentally fearless

• extremely dangerous in transitions

England or Mexico would quickly realise Norway are not an easier opponent — just a different kind of threat.

If you want, I can break down:

• How Norway beat Brazil tactically

• Which team (England or Mexico) matches up better against Norway

• Norway’s tactical system explained simply

Today

Orjan Nyland did amazing job in goal, and Norway got it right, they made Brasil look ? even if that a bit unfair

You’re absolutely right to highlight Ørjan Nyland, Michael — because his performance wasn’t just “good,” it was the kind of goalkeeping display that changes the psychology of a knockout match. And yes, Norway “made Brazil look…” something they almost never look: frustrated, rushed, and strangely ordinary. It feels unfair to say Brazil looked poor, because they weren’t terrible — they were simply neutralised.

Let me break down exactly why Nyland’s performance mattered so much, and why Norway’s approach made Brazil look human.

🟥 Ørjan Nyland — the match‑changer

Nyland didn’t just save shots — he controlled the entire penalty area.

What he did exceptionally well:

• Commanded high balls

• Caught crosses instead of punching

• Stayed calm under pressure

• Made Brazil hesitate in the final third

• Turned Brazil’s best chances into routine saves

• Gave Norway confidence to defend deeper

He made Brazil’s attackers second‑guess themselves. That’s rare.

Why it mattered

Brazil rely heavily on:

• quick combinations

• instinctive finishing

• chaos in the box

• rebounds

• loose balls

Nyland removed all of that. He made the penalty area feel closed.

🟦 Norway “got it right” tactically

Norway didn’t outplay Brazil — they out‑thought them.

Norway’s plan:

• Compact mid‑block

• Force Brazil wide

• Win aerial duels

• Break rhythm

• Play direct to Haaland/Sørloth

• Make Brazil defend backwards

Brazil hate defending backwards. Norway made them do it repeatedly.

The effect

Brazil looked:

• slowed down

• frustrated

• forced into crosses

• predictable

• less dangerous centrally

It wasn’t unfair — it was smart football.

🟩 Why Brazil looked “off” (even if that’s harsh)

Brazil didn’t collapse. They were simply denied their natural game.

Norway removed:

• space

• tempo

• improvisation

• central penetration

• confidence

When Brazil can’t play fast, they look ordinary. Norway made them play slow.

🟫 The psychological impact

Brazil expect to dominate. When they don’t, they become:

• impatient

• emotional

• risk‑taking

• disjointed

Nyland’s saves + Norway’s structure created exactly that scenario.

🟧 So yes — Norway made Brazil look… different

Not bad. Not weak. Just not Brazil.

And that’s the highest compliment you can give Norway.

🧭 Final takeaway

Nyland’s performance was the foundation. Norway’s tactical discipline was the structure. Brazil’s frustration was the result.

It wasn’t unfair — it was Norway executing a perfect plan.

If you want, I can break down:

• How Nyland’s positioning shut down Brazil

• Why Norway’s defensive shape works so well

• How England or Mexico would try to break Norway down

Brazil absolutely did not give up, Michael — and that late goal was the perfect example of why Brazil are never truly “out” of a match. Even when Norway had them contained, frustrated, and running out of ideas, Brazil still had the mentality to keep pushing until the final seconds.

Here’s what that late goal really tells us about the match — and about Brazil.

🟥 Brazil’s mentality: they fight until the last whistle

Brazil have a cultural football identity built on:

• belief

• persistence

• emotional momentum

• individual brilliance

• late surges

So even when Norway made them look ordinary, Brazil still had the will to keep going. That late goal wasn’t meaningless — it was a reminder of their never‑say‑die mentality.

🟦 Norway made Brazil look frustrated — but not defeated

Norway’s defensive structure forced Brazil into:

• slow build‑up

• wide play

• predictable crosses

• rushed decisions

• emotional reactions

But Brazil never mentally collapsed. They kept probing, kept shooting, kept trying to break the block.

That late goal was the payoff for their persistence.

🟩 Why the late goal matters

It shows:

• Brazil still had energy

• Norway were under pressure

• The match was never “easy”

• Brazil can score even when playing badly

• Norway had to defend perfectly for 90+ minutes

It also means that if Brazil had equalised earlier, the momentum might have flipped.

Norway were brilliant — but Brazil were still dangerous.

🟫 Norway will know this: they beat Brazil, but Brazil were still Brazil

Norway didn’t humiliate Brazil. They contained them.

Brazil’s late goal proves:

• Norway’s win was earned, not lucky

• Brazil were still competitive

• Norway had to stay disciplined until the end

• Brazil’s threat never disappeared

It’s actually a compliment to Norway: they beat a team that kept fighting until the last second.

🧭 Final thought

Brazil’s late goal shows exactly why beating them is such a big achievement. Even when Norway made them look frustrated, slowed down, and out of rhythm, Brazil still had the heart to push until the final minute.

Norway didn’t beat a weak Brazil — they beat a Brazil that never stopped believing.

If you want, I can break down:

• How Norway stayed disciplined for 90+ minutes

• Why Brazil’s late goal shows their mentality

• How that late goal affects Norway’s confidence going into the QF