England's manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that midfielder Declan Rice was bedridden with illness for nearly three days leading up to their World Cup quarter-final match against Norway on July 12, 2026. Despite his condition, Rice started the match, contributing to England's 2-1 victory at Miami Stadium.
Declan Rice's Health Struggles
Rice's performance was visibly affected by the stifling heat during the match. He was substituted at halftime for his Arsenal teammate Eberechi Eze. Tuchel noted that several players struggled in the heat, including Ezri Konsa, who suffered from cramps.
“We had to take Elliot [Anderson] or Declan out and knowing that Declan struggled after the last three days where he was most of the time in bed, I knew he cannot survive 90 minutes,” Tuchel explained. The decision to substitute Rice was made to ensure that a change could be saved for later in the match if necessary.
Match Highlights and England's Path Forward
England fell behind early when Andreas Schjelderup scored for Norway. However, Jude Bellingham equalized just before halftime and scored the decisive goal during extra time, securing England's place in the semi-finals against Argentina, who defeated Switzerland.
