France and Norway have qualified for the knockout phase; it’s just a matter of who finishes first in Group I. If France wins or draws, they’re headed to New York for the Round of 32. Norway needs a win. The team that finishes second will play Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday, June 30, at noon at Dallas Stadium.
France has one of the strongest rosters in the world. They won the World Cup in 2018; they finished runner-up in a thriller against Argentina in 2022; and some would argue their 2026 roster features Kylian Mbappe in his prime, plus plenty of support from Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Desire Doue in attack. Premier League champion William Saliba of Arsenal headlines the defense, but Saliba is not available for today’s game.
Mbappe and Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland are chasing Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot Race; they’re both tied with Brazil’s Vinicius Junior at 4 goals (Vini has already played his third Group Stage game). Messi has 5 after three games.
Haaland is one of the top goal scorers in the world over the past few seasons. The 6-foot-5 Norwegian plays for Manchester City in the Premier League, and he’s already won just about every trophy available to him. Norway has never reached the World Cup quarterfinals.
France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, whose mother recently died, returned to France and will miss the game. Deschamps previously announced he is stepping down as France coach after the tournament, 14 years after taking the job.
Senegal and Iraq both need a win just for a chance to continue; a loss or draw would eliminate either team.
Both games are at 2 p.m. CST.
