Valhalla’s décor may point north, but a report says local belonging matters more when the teams meet. Jordan, the pub’s owner, reportedly praised Norwegian visitors and respected the position of Winston Churchill, an English bar in Oslo expected to support Norway.
At Valhalla, however, the choice appears clear. Jordan said the staff are true Yorkshire men, making England the only acceptable side to back. It is a reminder that football loyalties are often shaped less by a venue’s theme than by the community around it.
The match also offers a headline individual contest between Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. Jordan reportedly rates Kane “o dia e a noite inteira” above his Norwegian counterpart - a forceful opinion rather than an objective verdict.
Their styles make the comparison compelling. Kane is comfortable dropping into deeper areas and linking play, while Haaland’s game is built around power, movement and ruthless finishing. Whichever striker receives the better service could define the night, giving every bar plenty to argue about before kickoff.
The split extends beyond York. The report says London’s Nordic Bar in Soho and Kenton Arms in Hackney will support Norway. At Kenton Arms, owner Egil Johansen reportedly hopes for an “ambiente civilizado” between rival supporters, regardless of the result.
That contrast gives the fixture an extra layer: an English bar in Oslo backing Norway, and a Viking-themed pub in York backing England. When the teams finally meet, the next storyline will be whether Kane or Haaland settles the argument - and whether the pubs’ predictions survive the final whistle.