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Norway’s preparation for their World Cup 2026 quarter-final against England has been disrupted again after the squad switched hotels in Miami just one night after checking into their previous accommodation.
The players reportedly complained to the team’s management about noise and disruption from the road outside their original hotel as well as a nearby construction site.
An official complaint was made to World Cup organisers Fifa and the Norway squad were moved out of the Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale within two-and-a-half hours.
The hotel fiasco follows an illness that has run through the squad since Sunday with Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealing that the affected players were recovering.
Norway are having an exceptional World Cup. They qualified for the tournament for the first time in 28 years and swept through the group stages losing only to France in their final group match having rested a bunch of their first choice starters.
They then defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in the round of 32 before an Erling Haaland brace saw them nip past five-time world champions Brazil by the same scoreline.
That victory has sent them into the quarter-finals for the very first time in their history and they are readying to take on England for a place in the final four on Saturday night.
The switch in hotels now means the Norway squad have re-located to a venue near to the Hard Rock Stadium where the quarter-final will take place.
Norway’s players are preparing to face England at the World Cup having switched hotels in Miami (Getty)
Truls Daehli, the Norway team’s logistics manager, said: “It is brutal having to move but we are satisfied with the new place and everyone is happy now. Some people might fear that this will affect the players, but it was the players who wanted this more than anyone else.
“We have strong people in our support team and managed to move in two-and-a-half hours. The process of changing hotel is not ideal but we wanted to take action as soon as possible. Having a good atmosphere is most important.
“We are going to stay for a week in Miami and we have now been for six weeks in the United States and we are going to play in the biggest match in Norwegian history.
“We have avoided cabin fever so far and don’t want any risk of it now. Fifa have accepted that we must move to another hotel.”
Fifa agreed to pay for 50 rooms plus security at Norway’s new hotel, with the Norwegian FA obliged to pay extra charges to cover the upgrade demanded by players.
