- Norway have won five, drawn three and lost two of their last ten matches across all competitions, a solid but not sparkling form sheet.
- Ivory Coast have won seven of their last ten across all competitions, drawing one and losing two.
- Nicolas Pepe has been a sparky influence in the Ivory Coast attack, scoring three of his side's ten goals in the last five games in all competitions.
Norway the narrow favourites to take the spoils
Norway are the market favourite for this fixture at 91/100, but Ivory Coast are 79/25 and the draw is 14/5, which reflects a relatively even fixture between two nations that have been solid at the World Cup to date.
It's hard to know what to make of Ivory Coast's Group E 2026 form sheet which opens with a 1-0 win over Ecuador and closes with a 2-1 loss to Germany. However, they sandwiched those results with a 2-0 victory over Curacao that suggests they can bounce back after tough games.
Philippe Clement has been Norway's coach since November 2025 and his side have been much more consistent in this competition. Their 3-2 win over Senegal and 4-1 loss to France suggest they know how to do the basics, but they didn't show enough when up against the top dogs.
Opposing goals can be the way to go
Emerse Faé has led the Elephants since January 2024 and uses a flexible 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 setup. The Elephants like to dictate the pace and have the quality in midfield to do so, but they're also a threat in transition with players like Nicolas Pepe, who has scored three of Ivory Coast's ten goals in the past five games across all competitions. Norway will push the pace and go vertical whenever they can, with Erling Haaland the undisputed number one striker. The 4-3-3 system allows the Manchester City star to lead the line, but this should be a cagey game and backing Both Teams To Score - No at 49/50 looks a good fit.
