This is the stage. This is the real stage. The group stage made for light work for Erling Haaland, a striker of the very highest level who was always likely to force Norway through to the last 32.
Now, it’s showtime. Knockout football at the
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Ivory Coast set up their meeting with Norway in Dallas by beating Curacao 2-0 and finishing in second place in Group E. Nicolas Pepe scored both goals in Philadelphia, where the Elephants also beat Ecuador.
This is the first-ever meeting between these nations, and it’s the first time in a while the European side would have been favourites.
Where once Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure led with distinction, the Ivory Coast squad now features only one player with more than 70 caps; Franck Kessie doubles as one of their three group-stage goalscorers.
The newer generation has proven its promise on the big stage, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, but missing out the last two World Cups was a chilling dose of reality after the glittering squad that made three in a row from 2006.
Norway are at the start of that path. Haaland is a once-in-many-generations player, Martin Odegaard a rare Norwegian winner of the Premier League. With their top players firing, the Vikings and their celebratory row will be back in four years.
For now, Solbakken’s sole focus is on reaching the round of 16 by making history with that first knockout win.
FourFourTwo’s prediction
Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway
FourFourTwo fancies this one to go all the way but it’s Norway who have the difference-maker and we’re backing him to make the difference.
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