World Cup Preview: Norway vs France 

Norway faces France on Friday evening for the final round of group stages in the World Cup. Norway are competing in their fourth tournament finals appearance and their first in 28 year. They have looked confident and competitive throughout the World Cup group stage so far. 

Norway 

In their opening group match, Norway delivered a dominant attacking performance, with Erling Haaland scoring twice as they defeated Iraq 4–1, sending them to the top of Group I and putting them in a strong position to reach the knockout rounds. 

Their qualification was then effectively secured in the following game, where Ståle Solbakken’s side held off a spirited Senegal team to claim a 3–2 win. That result made it two wins from two and took them to six points in the group. 

Norway could be forced into a few changes ahead of their next match, with Julian Ryerson now a major doubt after picking up an injury in the previous game. 

There are no other confirmed injury concerns within the squad, which gives the team some stability going forward. However, with qualification for the knockout stages already secured, some rotation is expected as the coaching staff looks to manage player fitness.  

France 

France has already shown strong form in the tournament. They opened with a 3–1 win over Senegal, where Mbappé scored twice and Barcola also got on the scoresheet.  

They followed that up with a comfortable 3–0 victory against Iraq, with Mbappé again finding the net early before they controlled the rest of the match. Because of those results, they are currently at the top of the group log with 6 points.  

France have no serious injury concerns in their squad. Some rotation in the team is expected, but France still has plenty of quality across the squad. Kylian Mbappé is likely to start and will lead the attack once again. 

He should be supported by players like Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, while other players such as Ousmane Dembélé or Rayan Cherki could also be involved depending on the lineup. 

🚨 OFFICIAL: France & Norway will play for 1st place in Group I. pic.twitter.com/llncYKsBEJ

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 23, 2026

What’s at stake 

To finish first, France simply needs to avoid defeat against Norway. The two sides last met in 2014, when France won 4–0. Even so, France will be aiming to win again and complete a perfect group stage. If they lose, they might come second in the group log, although that could only be determined by goal difference.  

Norway needs a victory so that they finish at the top of the group. Although both teams have qualified for the knockout stages, this game is now about placement.  

Erling Haaland is leading the race for the golden boot, but he faces a tough challenge against France’s strong defence. This match is seen as an important test for Norway’s golden generation. 

Predictions  

With Haaland and Mbappe facing each other, the match is likely to be the one for the books. They are both likely to be on the score sheet, and the outcome is both teams to score with over 2.5 goals. It’s going to be even more interesting because both players are competing to overtake the golden boot leaders. Bet on the World Cup to get the glimpse of everything.