Who, when and where will France and Norway play in the Round of 32?
worldsoccertalk.com · 4 weeks ago
With both France and Norway progressing to the knockout rounds, attention quickly shifted to who the two teams would face next, as well as where and when their Round of 32 matches would take place. France completed its Group I campaign with an impressive victory over Norway, securing first place in the standings and maintaining its perfect record at the 2026 World Cup. While Norway also progressed to the knockout rounds despite the defeat, attention quickly shifted to who the two teams would face next, as well as where and when their Round of 32 matches would take place. The clash in Boston Stadium lived up to its billing as one of the biggest fixtures of the group stage. France produced another composed performance to underline its status as one of the tournament favorites, while Norway, despite rotating much of its starting lineup, had already done enough in its earlier matches to secure qualification for the knockout stage. France entered the final group match knowing that a draw would be enough to finish first, but Les Bleus removed any doubt by producing a convincing display. Ousmane Dembele stole the headlines by scoring a remarkable 32-minute hat-trick, the second-fastest hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history. Norway managed to pull one goal back through Aasgaard, but France remained firmly in control throughout the contest. In the last seconds of regulation time, Desire Doue scored to seal the 4-1 win. Dembélé scored a hat trick in the first half The victory completed a flawless group-stage campaign for France after earlier wins over Senegal and Iraq. Meanwhile, Norway’s victories against Iraq and Senegal proved sufficient to keep the Scandinavian side in second place despite losing its final match. Who will France play in the Round of 32? With France officially finishing first in Group I, Les Bleus now know their first knockout-stage opponent. France will face Sweden in the Round of 32 on June 30 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Winning the group ensured France avoided a more difficult immediate matchup and kept its projected path through the tournament intact. Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden. Should France continue its impressive run by winning that fixture, the reward could be another heavyweight encounter later in the competition. Reports suggest a potential Round of 16 meeting with Germany could await if both teams continue advancing. Who will Norway face in the Round of 32? Despite missing out on top spot, Norway successfully qualified as the Group I runner-up and also has its knockout fixture confirmed. Norway will play Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 on June 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The matchup promises to be an intriguing contest between two ambitious national teams chasing historic World Cup success. Ivory Coast won their first match with a goal by Diallo Ivory Coast earned its own place in the knockout stage after an impressive group campaign, meaning Norway faces another demanding test despite progressing comfortably through the opening round.
