Côte d’Ivoire and Norway have never met before, making their Round of 32 clash one of the more intriguing ties of the 2026 World Cup.
Both sides finished their group stage on six points, each beating the lower-ranked opponents but falling to stronger teams—Côte d’Ivoire losing 2–1 to Germany, while Norway was beaten 4–1 by France.
On paper, Norway has had the stronger tournament, scoring eight goals to Côte d’Ivoire’s four and posting a 24% conversion rate compared to 13%. It also holds the edge in expected goals (xG), suggesting greater attacking efficiency.
However, both teams are evenly matched in possession at 46%, meaning the game could come down to moments of quality from their standout attackers—Erling Haaland for Norway and Yan Diomande for Côte d’Ivoire.
