Martin Odegaard will face four of his Arsenal teammates in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, as Norway face England in Miami on Saturday night (10pm UK).
Our skipper has captained his country to their first quarter-final in World Cup history, and he’ll be up against Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka in a battle for a semi-final spot.
Martin was asked about his Arsenal teammates in his pre-match media duties, and had plenty of kind words for his fellow Gunners.
“I’ve spoken to a few of them a bit during the tournament,” Martin said, “obviously we know the quality they have.
“I know them really well. (They are) outstanding, world-class players, playing for one of the best national teams in the world, so it’s going to be a big test for us.”
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The midfield battle will likely be key in Saturday’s tie, with Martin likely to go toe-to-toe with midfield partner Declan Rice.
“He has been outstanding for a long time. Playing with him, you can see all the qualities and it’s such a pleasure to share the field with him.”
“He is someone who always gives everything for the team, always fighting for every single ball, bringing his energy to the pitch, to the team, driving the team forward, and he can do so many things on the pitch.”
Asked how Norway can try to stop Declan, Martin admitted it will be a difficult challenge.
“He can defend, he can attack, he can be physical, he can be good on the ball, so he’s a very complete player. It’s going to be a good test for all of us.”
Norway are being treated as underdogs coming into the game having never made it this far in a World Cup before. England meanwhile are contesting their third consecutive quarter-final and are former World Champions.
But Martin insists that neither he nor his Norwegian teammates are phased by this history, especially after their stunning 2-1 win over Brazil in the last 16.
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“Brazil was the same, we were the underdogs, and as you saw, anything can happen in football. We’re going to give it a good try and see what we can do, and we’re looking forward to it.
“I think we’ve showed the whole world that we’re a good team; let’s prepare well and let’s keep enjoying our football and this moment together.”
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