Could the real dark horse be Norway?

The biggest surprise of this World Cup is not France, not Spain, but Norway.
They have defeated Côte d'Ivoire and five-time champion Brazil in succession, and especially the match that eliminated Brazil has made the world rediscover this Nordic powerhouse.
Many people thought before the tournament that reaching the round of 16 would already be a success for Norway, but now they have reached the quarterfinals and are riding a wave of momentum. In World Cup history, once a dark horse builds strong confidence, it can often create even more miracles.
Norway's biggest trait is their extremely fast transition between attack and defense. Against Brazil, they did not simply defend, but seized opportunities on the counterattack to deliver the fatal blow. This efficient style of play is highly threatening in knockout matches.
In addition, the team's overall running ability and physicality are outstanding. As the tournament enters its final stages, endurance and execution become increasingly important, and this is precisely where Norway has an advantage.
Next up is a match against England, which will determine whether they can continue to make history. England has a slight edge in overall strength, but the World Cup has never been decided by paper comparisons. If Norway can maintain their previous defensive quality and capitalize on counterattacking opportunities, they are fully capable of causing another upset.
Of course, rationally speaking, Norway's overall squad depth is still inferior to that of France, Spain, and Argentina, so their chances of winning the title remain relatively low.
Based on current form, I believe the quarterfinal teams can be roughly divided into three tiers for championship probability: The first tier is France and Spain; the second tier is Argentina and England; the third tier includes Belgium, Morocco, Norway, and the other quarterfinal team.
If I had to predict the eventual champion, I still lean toward France first, followed by Spain, then Argentina. However, this World Cup has seen frequent upsets, with dark horses constantly springing surprises, so the championship suspense is still far from resolved.
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