Norway – France

The world runners-up will win their third consecutive match.

After the draw for the FIFA World Cup final tournament, the Group I lineup was predicted to be straightforward. France was forecast to finish first in the group, with Iraq last. However, the fight for second place was expected to be fierce. Norway and Senegal looked like evenly matched opponents. In practice, it turned out to be somewhat different. Both European teams had maximum points after two rounds, while the African and Asian teams had none. Of course, ahead of the third matchday of the group stage, the teams' tasks were simple and clear. France and Norway will be contenders for the eventual first place. Senegal and Iraq will wrestle for the win to finish third and have a chance to reach the playoffs. In the race for the lead, the tournament situation points to the advantages of the world runners-up. The French have a slightly better goal difference than the Norwegians. This means that Didier Deschamps's side can be content with a draw. The payoff for finishing first seems substantial. Finishing second would necessitate a Round of 16 match with Côte d'Ivoire, who recently nearly toppled Germany. Finishing first would give the winner a chance to play against one of the teams that finished third in another World Cup group. Bookmakers pegged the away team as the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.62 on their victory. The Norwegian national team has indeed brought its best squad in history to the World Cup. Erling Haaland is only the cherry on top of the well-coordinated Norwegian football machine. Overall, in every line of the Scandinavian team's formation, there are their leaders. For instance, the same Ødegaard in midfield, or the more experienced Nyland in goal. That said, one should not rule out the possibility that the leaders of the Norwegian team won't take the field against France, as Solbakken might opt to rest them ahead of the precarious chance to cling to first place in the group. As for France, even the reserves here are capable of contending for victory against any team in the world. For example, in the match against Iraq there was no room on the field for players such as Zaire-Emery, Konaté, Tchouaméni, Hernández, and Kanté. The favorite will win the match.