{"id":16736,"date":"2026-07-03T06:13:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=16736"},"modified":"2026-07-03T06:13:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:43:35","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | Norway vs Senegal | Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i>Match 43 | Group I | New York\/New Jersey Stadium | June 23, 2026 | 5:30 AM IST<\/i><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Match_Overview\" title=\"Match Overview\">Match Overview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Norway_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\" title=\"Norway \u2014 Team Analysis\">Norway \u2014 Team Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Senegal_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\" title=\"Senegal \u2014 Team Analysis\">Senegal \u2014 Team Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Head-to-Head\" title=\"Head-to-Head\">Head-to-Head<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Tactical_Preview\" title=\"Tactical Preview\">Tactical Preview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Key_Storylines\" title=\"Key Storylines\">Key Storylines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-norway-vs-senegal-preview\/#Our_Prediction\" title=\"Our Prediction\">Our Prediction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><i>\u25ba\u00a0Watch Norway vs Senegal LIVE on ZEE5 \u2014 the official streaming home of the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 in India. Stream every group stage match, every knockout thriller, and the final itself, live and on demand.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Match_Overview\"><\/span><b>Match Overview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Three points were the best possible start. Norway dismantled Iraq 4\u20131 in Boston, with Erling Haaland bagging two goals in the first half before Leo \u00d8stig\u00e5rd added a third late on. Senegal\u2019s opener went the other way \u2014 a 1\u20133 defeat to France that leaves them with everything to fight for. Ibrahim Mbaye got Senegal on the scoresheet, but France\u2019s quality was relentless. Norway need a win to go top of Group I; Senegal need one to stay alive.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Norway_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/norway\/norway-squad\"><b>Norway <\/b><\/a><b>\u2014 Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>St\u00e5le Solbakken\u2019s 4\u20133\u20133 pressed Iraq off the pitch for long stretches in the opening game. \u00d8degaard operated as the advanced playmaker with two shuttling runners behind him \u2014 they dominated possession in the middle third, kept the ball moving, and fed Haaland in behind. He made it look almost routine: hold the ball, spin, find space, finish. Two goals before half-time.<\/p>\n<p>Norway\u2019s defensive record in qualifying \u2014 37 goals scored, only five conceded across eight games \u2014 tells you something about how well-organised they are from front to back. They press, and they hold shape.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key player: Erling Haaland \u2014 <\/b>Fifty-five international goals in 49 appearances, 16 of them in eight qualifying matches. On his World Cup debut against Iraq, he scored twice before the break. At 25, playing the best club football of his career at Manchester City, Haaland is the most dangerous striker at this tournament. Senegal will need a specific plan \u2014 and the discipline to hold it for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Senegal_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/senegal\/senegal-squad\"><b>Senegal <\/b><\/a><b>\u2014 Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pape Thiaw\u2019s Senegal are a stronger side than their 1\u20133 against France suggests. They pressed when they had chances and Ibrahim Mbaye\u2019s goal was earned, not fortunate. Thiaw sets up in a 4\u20133\u20133 that sits in a mid-to-low block when out of possession, relying on the pace and quality of Man\u00e9 and Nicolas Jackson to create from counter-attacks. Pape Matar Sarr links the midfield play. Kalidou Koulibaly leads a defence that conceded just three goals in ten qualifying matches.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key player: Sadio Man\u00e9 \u2014 <\/b>At 34 and playing his club football at Al-Nassr, Man\u00e9 is past his peak years at Liverpool and Bayern Munich, where he won a Premier League, a Champions League, and became one of the most complete forwards in the world. But he\u2019s still Senegal\u2019s most experienced, most dangerous match-winner. Against France, he didn\u2019t score \u2014 today he needs to.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Head-to-Head\"><\/span><b>Head-to-Head<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Norway and Senegal have never met at a World Cup. They couldn\u2019t have \u2014 Norway haven\u2019t been at a major tournament since 1998, and Senegal didn\u2019t make their World Cup debut until 2002 in South Korea, famously beating France on the opening day. These two sides know very little about each other. This fixture is an entirely blank page.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactical_Preview\"><\/span><b>Tactical Preview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Norway will press high, try to control possession through \u00d8degaard, and look to thread balls in behind Senegal\u2019s defensive line for Haaland to run onto. Senegal will sit in their block, try to win the ball in midfield through Idrissa Gueye\u2019s physicality, and spring counter-attacks using Man\u00e9 and Jackson\u2019s pace. The question is whether Senegal can cope with Norway pressing them high up the pitch \u2014 Iraq couldn\u2019t, and they were torn apart before half-time.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Storylines\"><\/span><b>Key Storylines<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Erling Haaland has been the most talked-about absentee from every World Cup since 2018. Norway\u2019s failure to qualify left him \u2014 55 international goals and counting \u2014 without a major tournament. Now he\u2019s here. His two goals against Iraq, clinical and early, were his way of announcing the wait is over.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, beating Egypt in the final and are the current runners-up. They came into this tournament with genuine expectations. A 1\u20133 to France is a setback, but the context matters: two losses in Group I means elimination. Senegal have no choice but to come after Norway.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Norway haven\u2019t been at a World Cup since 1998, when Ole Gunnar Solskj\u00e6r and Tore Andr\u00e9 Flo helped them reach the Round of 16 before Italy knocked them out. Twenty-eight years. This squad, built around Haaland and \u00d8degaard, ended that drought by finishing above Italy in qualifying \u2014 a neat kind of symmetry. The World Cup has finally come around for Norwegian football. They intend to make it count.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_Prediction\"><\/span><b>Our Prediction<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Norway have the superior squad, a clinical striker at the top of his game, and the confidence of a big first-game win. Senegal are desperate and dangerous, with quality in every position. But desperation doesn\u2019t always translate on the pitch when you\u2019re facing Haaland and \u00d8degaard. They are very close in overall quality and experience.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Don\u2019t miss a moment of the <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\"><i>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/i><\/a><i> \u2014 stream every match LIVE on <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\"><i>ZEE5 FIFA Subscription<\/i><\/a><i>, India\u2019s official home of the tournament. Download the ZEE5 app today and never miss a kick.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Match 43 | Group I | New York\/New Jersey Stadium | June 23, 2026 | 5:30 AM IST \u25ba\u00a0Watch Norway vs Senegal LIVE on ZEE5 \u2014 the official streaming home of the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 in India. Stream every group stage match, every knockout thriller, and the final itself, live and on demand.\u00a0 &nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":16737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3122,3453],"class_list":["post-16736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-i","tag-norway-vs-senegal-preview"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-55.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | 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