The Norway national team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against France in their final group-stage match of the 2026 World Cup.
Norway Rests Haaland and Odegaard Ahead of Knockout Rounds
The Scandinavian side entered the clash with a second-string lineup, as manager Ståle Solbakken opted to keep star players Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Alexander Sorloth on the bench, relying instead on his substitute options.
This decision set the tone at Gillette Stadium, where France capitalized early. Les Bleus found the back of the net three times within the opening 30 minutes thanks to a spectacular hat-trick from Ousmane Dembele. Desire Doue added a fourth goal in the final moments of the game, while Albert Grønbæk scored Norway’s lone consolation goal.
Norway Set to Face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32
Despite the heavy defeat, Norway finishes the group stage with 6 points, comfortably qualifying for the Round of 32 as the group runners-up.
Norway’s next opponent has already been confirmed. They will face the Ivory Coast, who successfully advanced from Group E—a group that featured Germany, Curaçao, and Ecuador. The highly anticipated knockout match is scheduled to take place on June 30th in Texas, with the winner moving on to face either Brazil or Japan in the Round of 16.
