With both Norway and France already through to the knockout stage, the only thing that needs to be decided in this game is who finishes top of Group I.
Both teams have made strong starts to the 2026 World Cup, with Norway beating Iraq 4-1 and Senegal 3-2, while France defeated the latter 3-1 and ran out 3-0 winners over Iraq.
Norway have only one of their last 14 matches across all competitions, going unbeaten in the qualifiers, and that single loss was in a friendly against the Netherlands. Both teams have scored in eight of Norway's last 10 international matches, and the Scandinavians have scored at least two goals in 10 of their last 14 fixtures.
France have onyl lost one of their last 12 fixtures, and that was in a friendly against the Ivory Coast. Like Norway, France went unbeaten during the World Cup qualifiers, so you can see why we're backing a stalemate between the pair on Friday night.
Eight of Les Bleu's last 11 international matches have produced goals at both ends of the pitch, so neither France nor Norway have been particularly good at keeping clean sheets in the last nine months or so, which is a major reason why we're backing both teams to score in Foxborough.
With Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both scoring four goals in their opening two appearances at the 2026 World Cup, Friday's clash is bound to be presented as Haaland vs Mbappe. Haaland is one of the greatest goal scorers of his generation, but Mbappe has more to his game, and that is why he is considered by most to be the best player in the world right now.
The Real Madrid star is now France's all-time top goalscorer with 60 goals in 100 caps, and also surpassed Just Fontaine's World Cup goals record, which arguably makes him France's best-ever player.
The 27-year-old went into the World Cup on the back of an impressive personal season with the Spanish giants, scoring 42 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions. Through 2025/26, Mbappe also scored 12 international goals in 14 outings for France, yet despite his impressive career, he has yet to secure a major European trophy at club level and has no trophies with the national team.
That run may well come to an end at the 2026 World Cup as he and France have made an impressive start to the competition and possess all the attributes needed to become World Champions.
Norway 2-2 France
