Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- Group I's decisive third match sees France (Pot 1) clash with Norway (Pot 3) in a historic encounter. France, the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up, aim for their third consecutive World Cup final and back-to-back titles under Deschamps. Norway returns to the World Cup stage after a 28-year absence since France 1998, with Erling Haaland set to make his long-awaited World Cup debut.
- France's 4-2-3-1 formation features captain Kylian Mbappé (27, Real Madrid, 98 caps, 56 goals) leading the line, with the ambidextrous Ousmane Dembélé (29, PSG) on the right wing, Michael Olise (24, Bayern Munich) on the right, and promising youngster Désiré Doué (21, PSG) providing width. The midfield pivot of Aurélien Tchouaméni (26, Real Madrid) and Manu Koné (25, AS Roma) offers defensive stability and distribution.
- Norway mirrors the 4-2-3-1 setup with Jørgen Strand Larsen (26, Crystal Palace, 193cm) as the lone striker. The key storyline revolves around two benched superstars: Martin Ødegaard (27, Arsenal captain, 67 caps) and Erling Haaland (25, Manchester City, 49 caps, 55 goals). Manager Torstveit's timing of their introduction could prove decisive in the outcome.
- Former club connections add intrigue to the matchup. Three French players - Mbappé, Tchouaméni, and Jules Koundé - share Monaco connections, with Mbappé having played there before his PSG stint. Norway blends emerging talents like Haaland and Antonio Nusa with experienced campaigners like Ødegaard, all united in pursuit of their first knockout stage appearance in decades.
- The match kicks off at 3 PM local time in New York State on June 26, a prime time slot for North American audiences. France boasts exceptional depth with goalkeeper Mike Maignan (30, AC Milan) protected by a formidable defense including William Saliba (25, Arsenal), while substitutes like Marcus Thuram (28, Inter Milan) and N'Golo Kanté (35, Fenerbahçe, 2018 World Cup winner) provide world-class options from the bench.
- Norway's midfield features the partnership of Patrick Berg (28, Bodø/Glimt captain, 41 caps) and Kristian Thorstvedt (27, Sassuolo, 35 caps), with fullbacks Fredrik Bjørkan (27, Bodø/Glimt) and Fredrik Aursnes (30, Benfica) providing attacking width. The central defensive pairing of Leo Østigård (26, Genoa, 38 caps) and Henrik Bjørdal Falckner (23, Viking, 194cm) faces the ultimate test against Mbappé's pace and movement.