Norway vs France: Mbappe faces Haaland in battle for Group I top spot at 2026 World Cup

The final match of Group I at the 2026 World Cup between Norway and France at Boston's stadium (Foxborough, USA) on Friday (19:00 GMT, 2:00 AM Hanoi time on June 27) promises to be one of the most exciting group-stage encounters. Both teams have already secured their places in the round of 32 after defeating Senegal and Iraq, but victory will decide the group winner, offering a significant advantage for the knockout stages.

Speaking after Norway's 3-2 win over Senegal that secured early qualification, striker Erling Haaland surprised many with candid comments: "To be honest, I don't care too much about the match against France. We've made it through the group stage, that's fantastic. I couldn't care less about that game. They (France) will probably beat us, and they might win the whole tournament." However, the Nordic side are in strong form with a run of two wins, two draws, and one loss in their last five matches, and have scored more goals than France in the group stage (5 vs 4). Yet their leaky defense—conceding three goals in two games—is a weakness that French attackers like Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue can exploit.

For France, the team faces a personal tragedy as coach Didier Deschamps has had to leave the squad to return to France for his mother's funeral. The French Football Federation confirmed that Deschamps' mother passed away on Tuesday. Assistant coach Guy Stephan will take temporary charge for the match against Norway. Despite this, France remain the favorites with a deep squad. They need only a draw to secure top spot in Group I, thus avoiding a tough bracket featuring opponents like Ivory Coast, Brazil, the Netherlands, or England in later rounds.

Regarding personnel, Norway are likely to rotate their lineup. Defender Julian Ryerson has a thigh injury and will be replaced by Marcus Pedersen. Midfielder Fredrik Aursnes may rest, making way for Kristian Thorstvedt. France may also rotate in central midfield, while Theo Hernandez will replace Lucas Digne on the left flank.

Projected lineups:
Norway: Nyland (GK); Pedersen, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Aursnes, Berge, Odegaard; Nusa, Haaland, Sorloth.
France: Maignan (GK); Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola.

This match also features an intriguing individual duel between Haaland and Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot. Currently, Lionel Messi leads the scoring charts. Historically, the two teams have met 15 times (since 1923), with France winning 7, Norway winning 4, and 4 draws. Their last encounter was a 2014 friendly, which France won 4-0 with a brace from Olivier Giroud.