Norway vs – Norway will try to reach the World Cup round of 16 for the first time since 1998 when it faces Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The match comes after Norway rotated heavily against France, despite conceding four goals, while Côte d
By the time the teams walk out at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it will have been 12 years since Côte d’Ivoire last tasted this stage. For Norway, the stakes are smaller on paper and bigger in the memory: a spot in the round of 16 for the first time since 1998.
The match kicks off Tuesday, June 30, at 1 p.m. ET, when Emerse Faé’s side meet Ståle Solbakken’s Norway. If the storyline sounds neat—first-timers in form against a team aiming to build on qualification—it’s the lineup question that gives it bite.
Côte d’Ivoire arrives with real momentum. It is enjoying its first World Cup appearance since 12 years away, and it has never reached the knockout rounds before. In Group E, it finished as runner-up after a 2–0 win over debutants Curaçao on Matchday 3, a result that ensured progression.
Norway’s path has been more strategic. Solbakken made a point of rotation against France after the team secured its place in the last 32 by beating Iraq and Senegal. Against France, Norway didn’t just lose—it was thumped 4–1, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring a first-half hat trick. Solbakken didn’t appear dispirited by what looked like the expected defeat. and the decision to rest key pieces is now about to be tested in Dallas.
The connection between the two teams’ tournaments is clear in how they’ve created chances. Norway’s xG per shot is listed as 0.18—the highest at the tournament. per Opta—an output that helps explain why even a rotated side could still earn qualification. Côte d’Ivoire’s tournament has carried its own swagger too, including its assured win over Curaçao. Faé’s team has looked like an uncomfortable dark-horse across the Atlantic, not just a participant.
In front of it all, the match will hinge on the same name repeatedly: Erling Haaland. Norway has leaned on him through the group stage. where he scored braces in Norway’s wins over Iraq and Senegal. He is also chasing the World Cup Golden Boot. and the total it’s tied to is the kind of number that changes how opponents defend: Haaland has four goals in North America. raising his Norway tally to 59 in just 52 caps. He is also hunting Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
Solbakken’s plan now looks like it will come together in selection. With a relatively quick turnaround, Norway’s strongest XI is expected to return, though the early minutes could still feel like an adjustment if Côte d’Ivoire starts fast.
That “if” matters because Norway’s defense has been shakier than the results suggest. The team has recorded just one clean sheet in 10 games. And one specific concern looms again: Norway could be without Ryerson at right back. Julian Ryerson is nursing a thigh injury and was absent from the matchday roster against France. As things stand, it seems unlikely he will be fit for the round of 32.
If Ryerson can’t go, Fredrik Aursnes could be tasked with filling in. Solbakken’s strongest lineup should return overall. but Aursnes’s use in defense could open space for Thelo Aasgaard to start alongside Martin Ødegaard and Sander Berge in the midfield. Another option in the mix is Patrick Berg, the captain of Bødo/Glimt.
On the left flank, Antonio Nusa is expected to start in Dallas after getting a run out late against France. His tournament run hasn’t yet “ignited,” but Norway will be encouraged by the fact that Haaland didn’t “leave his shooting boots” behind.
Côte d’Ivoire’s attack has its own shape, even if it has not always looked like a machine. Yan Diomande has teased his talent at the tournament without dominating. but he heads into Tuesday’s match amid reports suggesting he has chosen Paris Saint-Germain as his ideal next destination. Liverpool are also interested, though Diomande wants back-to-back European champions. Nicolas Pépé. meanwhile. leads an experienced attack in a fluid. interchangeable group that scored both goals in Côte d’Ivoire’s win over Curaçao.
In midfield, Ibrahim Sangaré and Franck Kessié are the two notable names. And for defense, Ousmane Diomande has been operating as the rock of Emerse Faé’s back line.
Wilfried Singo is listed as a doubt due to a hamstring injury. He hasn’t yet trained ahead of Tuesday’s tie, leaving Faé to shape the back line around what’s available.
For the match, Côte d’Ivoire is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape with Fofana; Doué, Kossounou, Diomande, Konan; Sangaré, Kessié; Amad, Oulai, Diomande; Pépé.
Norway’s likely setup is a 4-3-3, with Nyland; Aursnes, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Ødegaard, Berge, Aasgaard; Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa.
Whether Norway’s rest-before-the-knockouts approach pays off will show early. Côte d’Ivoire has already proved it can hurt teams—first by navigating Group E. then by taking control with a 2–0 win over Curaçao. Norway, for its part, has been producing chances at a rate that’s hard to ignore. But with defensive vulnerabilities and the uncertainty around Ryerson, this is a tie that could swing quickly.
A forecast has Côte d’Ivoire 1–2 Norway.
For fans. the match will be broadcast across multiple outlets. with United States coverage on FOX Network. fuboTV. Telemundo. Telemundo Deportes En Vivo. and FOX One. Canada will show it on TSN+, TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, RDS, and RDS App. In Mexico, it will air via ViX Mexico. In the United Kingdom, BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sport will carry it.
By the time the clock hits 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, these teams won’t be thinking about long history or statistical trails. They’ll be thinking about the same thing: one win, and the round of 16 is theirs.
Norway vs Côte d’Ivoire World Cup 2026 Ståle Solbakken Emerse Faé Erling Haaland Ousmane Dembélé Yan Diomande PSG rumors AT&T Stadium Arlington round of 16
Norway hasn’t made the round of 16 since like foreverrr. I feel like they’ll choke.
Wait so Côte d’Ivoire is playing at AT&T Stadium? That’s wild, I didn’t even know they were in the World Cup this year. Also rotating vs France and still getting in is… honestly impressive?
They said Norway rotated heavily against France and conceded four goals… so that means they’re gonna do the same again, right? Like why keep testing the defense if you actually want the round of 16. And is Dembélé from Norway or France?? I get confused with those names.
xG per shot 0.18? Sounds like a fantasy stat, not real soccer. I’m just gonna go with vibes: Côte d’Ivoire has momentum, first time in 12 years, so they probably pull it off. Norway’s “stakes smaller on paper” is exactly how teams mess up. Dallas too, like Texas energy is gonna make it weird.