World Cup
2026-06-26 - Norway vs France
A Sports Betting Pick by ArmchairPunter
Football : World: FIFA World Cup - Group I
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Friday 26th June 2026, 1400hrs (local)
Norway
Norway head into Friday afternoon’s game (local time) against joint-leaders of Group I, France, in excellent goalscoring form as the Norwegians have scored a total of seven goals across their opening two games in the group stage, recording a 4-1 victory over Iraq followed by a 3-2 win against Senegal.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is spearheading Norway’s attack and he leads their goalscoring tally with four goals under his belt already, while the likes of Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has contributed two assists so far in this tournament.
The bigger picture shows Norway have suffered just a single defeat in their previous 18 internationals across all competitions along with picking up no fewer than 14 wins in the process under national coach, Stale Solbakken.
Goals at both ends look set to feature as well with eight of Norway’s last nine games resulting in both teams scoring.
Fast Fact: Norway's appearance at the 2026 World Cup ends a 28-year absence from the tournament.
France
France sit level on six points apiece with their upcoming opponents Norway ahead of Group I’s top-of-the-table clash at the Gillette Stadium on Friday, and they too have been in fine goalscoring form with Les Bleus notching a total of six goals to date.
A 3-1 win over Senegal in their opening game in Group I was followed by a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Iraq and it’s also no surprise that Real Madrid striker, Kylian Mbappe, has been at the forefront of France’s attacking prowess so far in this competition.
Mbappe also has four goals to his name, while the French overall have slipped to just one defeat in their last 13 internationals, so they also possess a solid pedigree of results heading into this upcoming encounter.
Goals also look likely from a French perspective as six of their last seven internationals have also resulted in both teams hitting the back of the net.
Fast Fact: Reached consecutive finals in 2018 and 2022.
The Betting Verdict
Norway and France have met twice before and both nations have recorded one win each, while the prospects of both teams scoring here looks very promising indeed in what has been billed Mbappe v Haaland!
The Pick :
Norway 2-2 France
