Two group runners-up with very different identities meet at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday, as Ivory Coast and Norway open their World Cup 2026 round of 32, with kickoff in Arlington at 2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM PT.
The contrast is the story. Ivory Coast reached the knockouts as runners-up in Group E on the back of two clean sheets, conceding just twice across their three World Cup 2026 group games. Norway came through Group I in second as the tournament’s great entertainers — eight goals scored, seven conceded, and a chastening 4-1 defeat to France that exposed as much as it flattered.
That leaves a genuinely open tie. bet365 make Norway the narrow side at +100 to win in 90 minutes, a price that speaks to Erling Braut Haaland’s presence as much as anything, and the Norwegians sit higher on the World Cup 2026 outright odds board. But Ivory Coast carry the better defensive profile of the two, and in a knockout that matters.
Ivory Coast vs Norway: Best Bets & Predictions
The card leans toward Norway’s firepower without writing off a tight, end-to-end night — Haaland anchors the slate, with goals at both ends the supporting theme.
| Our Prediction | Odds & Sportsbook | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway to Win | +100 @ bet365 (50.0%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Eight goals in the group stage and the tournament’s most explosive attack. Even money on the side with the higher ceiling and the clearest match-winner is fair value. |
| Erling Braut Haaland to score anytime | -138 @ bet365 (58.0%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Four goals already and the shortest-priced scorer on the board. Ivory Coast’s back five will be stretched if Norway commit numbers forward. |
| Over 2.5 Goals | -111 @ bet365 (52.6%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Norway have been involved in goals at both ends all tournament, conceding seven while scoring eight. The Over has cleared in two of their three games. |
| Both Teams to Score: Yes | -134 @ bet365 (57.3%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Norway’s leaky back line gives Ivory Coast a route to the net, and the Norwegians have scored in every game. Both teams finding the net is the percentage read. |
| Correct Score: Norway 2-1 | +850 @ bet365 (10.5%) | ⭐⭐ | Ties the win, the Over and both-teams-to-score into one line — a narrow Norway edge in a tie their attack should shade. |
Our approach: take Norway to edge it at +100, build around Haaland anytime, and treat Norway 2-1 as the scoreline that ties the win, the Over and both-teams-to-score into one line.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. T&Cs, time limits, and exclusions apply.
World Cup Form & Route to the Round of 32
Both sides arrived here level on six points, each with two wins and a single defeat, but the underlying numbers pull in different directions. Ivory Coast’s route was the cleaner — a 1-0 win over Ecuador, a narrow 2-1 loss to Germany, and a controlled 2-0 win over Curaçao to seal second in Group E. Norway’s was the louder: a 4-1 thumping of Iraq, a 3-2 win over Senegal, and that 1-4 defeat to France to close Group I in second.
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast (2nd, Group E) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| Norway (2nd, Group I) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 6 |
Potential Match-Winners
- Erling Braut Haaland (Norway): Four goals already and the clear focal point of this Norway side. He was named among the substitutes against France, but in a knockout he is the man the whole game plan runs through — and the shortest-priced scorer at -138.
- Jørgen Strand Larsen (Norway): Leads the line alongside Haaland and offers a second physical threat in the box, priced at +175 to score anytime.
- Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast): Ivory Coast’s top scorer with two goals, and their most likely source of a moment in transition. Available at +375 anytime.
- Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast): Pace and end product from the right, and one of the outlets Ivory Coast will lean on to turn defense into attack. Priced at +275 to find the net.
Recent Form
Ivory Coast: W L W
- Jun 25, 2026: Curaçao 0-2 Ivory Coast (W), Lincoln Financial Field
- Jun 20, 2026: Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (L), BMO Field
- Jun 15, 2026: Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador (W), Lincoln Financial Field
Two wins and two clean sheets in three, with the only blemish a narrow loss to Germany. The 2-0 win over Curaçao was the template: 1.55 xG, 63.3% possession, and only five shots conceded from inside the box. Nicolas Pépé leads the scoring with two, with Amad Diallo and Franck Kessie also on the board.
Norway: W W L
- Jun 26, 2026: Norway 1-4 France (L), Gillette Stadium
- Jun 23, 2026: Norway 3-2 Senegal (W), MetLife Stadium
- Jun 16, 2026: Iraq 1-4 Norway (W), Gillette Stadium
Free-scoring but fragile. The 1-4 defeat to France was the warning sign: Norway managed 1.88 xG and 10 shots of their own, but conceded 10 shots from inside their box. Haaland has four of Norway’s goals, with Marcus Pedersen, Leo Østigård and Thelonious Aasgaard also scoring. Against a Ivory Coast back five, the defensive side of that profile is the open question.
Ivory Coast vs Norway Prediction
This has the makings of a tighter knockout tie than the market headline suggests, but Norway’s ceiling — and Haaland — is hard to ignore. We’re going Norway to win at +100 with bet365, with Haaland anytime and Over 2.5 the supporting plays, and a 2-1 Norway scoreline as the shape of the night. The bet365 review has current terms. Kickoff is 2:00 PM ET at AT&T Stadium, Arlington.
Ivory Coast’s defensive record means this is far from a formality — but if anyone can prise open a disciplined back five, it is the man who has already scored four times at these finals.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
Ivory Coast vs Norway kicks off at 2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM PT on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
bet365 make Norway a narrow favorite at +100 to win in 90 minutes, with Erling Braut Haaland the standout goalscorer pick at -138. Ivory Coast’s defensive record, with just two goals conceded in the group stage, makes the tie tighter than the headline suggests.
We are backing Norway to win at +100, Over 2.5 Goals, both teams to score, and Erling Braut Haaland anytime, with a 2-1 Norway scoreline as the supporting play.
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER