A spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 will be on the line when Ivory Coast and Norway face off at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday.
We are getting into the thick of the round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Tuesday will serve us three exciting fixtures. The action on the day will start with Ivory Coast vs Norway at AT&T Stadium, featuring two teams that took the group stage by storm and captured the imagination with their ingenuity in the final third.
Both the Ivory Coast and Norway set this tie up by finishing as runners-up in the group stage. The Elephants, in particular, would have considered themselves unfortunate to be second in Group E behind Germany. Their only loss came against Die Mannschaft, with Emerse Fae’s being arguably the better team before losing 2-1.
Near misses in both halves, particularly from Simon Adingra, cost Ivory Coast dearly, eventually becoming the difference between the summit and second spot. Nevertheless, those showings have created a sense of optimism surrounding the Ivory Coast ahead of the clash with Norway.
Speaking of Norway, the Vikings were one of the most eye-catching teams in the group stage, often scoring goals for fun and sealing their spot in the round of 32 before Matchday 3. That allowed Stale Solbakken to rotate his troops against France, and Norway’s head coach made a whopping ten changes to the starting eleven.
Despite the 4-1 defeat to Les Bleus, Norway put up a remarkable fight and looked in contention to steal a point before Jorgen Strand Larsen’s penalty miss flipped the momentum. Nevertheless, with the regular starters returning well-rested, Solbakken’s charges will fancy their prospects of going deep in the tournament.
Tuesday’s fixture will be the first-ever match featuring the Ivory Coast and Norway, and The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the maiden meeting between the two sides.
Emerse Fae has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Ivory Coast head coach may be bereft of the services of two players vs Norway on Tuesday.
Fae continues to sweat over the fitness of Wilfried Singo, who faces a late fitness test to determine his availability after sustaining a hamstring injury in the game against Germany. Additionally, Evan Ndicka has yet to regain match fitness.
Yahia Fofana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with the Ivory Coast lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him vs Norway on Tuesday. While Fae has also adopted the 4-3-3 setup in a game this World Cup, the preferred system allows more tactical flexibility, with twin blocks of four creating better solidity out of possession.
The backline will feature Guela Doue, Odilon Kossounou, Ousmane Diomande, and Ghislain Konan. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ibrahim Sangare and captain Franck Kessie in the central areas, with Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande providing the width. Finally, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Nicolas Pepe will be the two strikers for the Elephants.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Yahia Fofana; Doue, Kossounou, Ousmane Diomande, Konan; Amad, Kessie, Sangare, Yan Diomande; Pepe, Bonny
Like his counterpart in the Ivory Coast dugout, Stale Solbakken has an issue to worry about ahead of the trip to AT&T Stadium. Norway’s head coach may be without one player, as he is sweating over Julian Ryerson’s fitness. The 28-year-old should start if he is partially fit, considering his importance in the final third.
Orjan Nyland will return between the sticks, with Norway lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs the Ivory Coast on Tuesday. The Vikings will focus on creating overloads when they push forward with the ball, while in defensive phases, they will pay attention to covering the half spaces, where Amad Diallo and Nicolas Pepe can thrive.
Julian Ryerson will join Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, and David Moller Wolfe in the backline, with his creativity from the right flank making him a pivotal figure for Norway. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, and Fredrik Aursnes.
The trio will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park, while Odegaard and Aursnes will provide the creative impetus through the central areas. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Norway against the Ivory Coast, with Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa being the two wide attackers. Sorloth will often join Haaland in the central areas, creating a vacancy on the right half-space for Odegaard and Ryerson.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Aursnes; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
While Martin Odegaard, Yan Diomande, and Amad Diallo were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Erling Haaland as the Player to Watch for Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash between the Ivory Coast and Norway at AT&T Stadium.
The 25-year-old has been on top of his game thus far in his first World Cup, scoring four goals to be in Golden Boot contention. Moreover, Haaland has found the back of the net in all ten of his most recent competitive outings, and he has produced over 1.5 shots on target in his last seven appearances. With the Manchester City striker in such brilliant form,
Ivory Coast will make their World Cup knockout rounds bow, knowing their defensive solidity can be their USP against a goal-hungry Norwegian side. Additionally, the Vikings have been vulnerable at the back, conceding seven goals in the group stage and failing to keep a clean sheet.
Additionally, nine of Norway’s last ten matches have seen both teams score, and the team’s soft underbelly will keep Ivory Coast in the game for long stretches. With both teams in exceptional form, an engrossing affair is on the cards. However, Erling Haaland, in the form of his life, will make the difference, delivering a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Stale Solbakken and his charges.
