- France have won their last four of five matches in all competitions, including back-to-back away victories.
- Norway have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games in all competitions, but impressed in a draw with Morocco and a 4-1 win over Iraq.
- France are available at 41/50 to win this game, which strikes me as short, but Norway are still underrated at 16/5.
France are worthy favourites to win
Norway currently sit atop FIFA World Cup Group I into Friday's head-to-head encounter with France, with the Lions taking a confident three points from their opening two qualifiers.
Les Bleus have three points in the bank following their 3-1 home win over Senegal in their opening World Cup qualifier, while Norway are on three after crushing Iraq 4-1 away from home in their second fixture.
The game in Boston is the most eye-catching encounter in the group stage schedule, not just as a showcase for global stars Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland but also because of the tactical contrast between the two nations.
Norway have gone all-in on a 4-3-3 system since Philippe Clement took charge in November 2025, with him setting up a disciplined, compact system built around rapid counters and maximizing Haaland's presence.
Martin Ødegaard is the key to Norway's ability to play in transitions and getting the ball to Haaland as often as possible. In their system, there is rarely a dull moment, but the pace and power of the Manchester City striker must always be factored into the equation.
France, led by the experienced Didier Deschamps since 2012, are another team with a clear identity but he has blended pragmatic control with a more adventurous, fluid attacking setup in recent matches.
The world champions will start from a 4-2-3-1 base, which gives them protection in deep midfield, while Rabiot sets the tempo in the number 8 role and France can interchange their creative attacking players at will, with Mbappé always the focal point.
Rabiot played a key role in France's opening group win, with the ex-PSG man providing one assist to support Mbappé's two goals in his first Group I appearance.
Two great teams make for an open match
France have won their last two away games and have a better all-around quality and depth to come through what will be a very tough test of their credentials.
The World Cup holders are 41/50 to continue their winning momentum with a victory over Norway and while that is shorter than expected, the Over 2.5 goals market at 87/100 is a tiny bit too wide for a game between two attacking sides.
With France and Norway both capable of scoring a few, a draw at 14/5 looks a solid wager for those looking to take on the 41/50 for France to get the win.
