Côte d’Ivoire make three changes to the side that started the 2-0 win over Curaçao. Emmanuel Agbadou, Ghislain Konan and Christ Inao Oulaï come in for Ousmane Diomande, Christopher Opéri and Amad Diallo.
The teams
Côte d’Ivoire: Yahia Fofana, Doue, Kossounou, Agbadou, Konan, Sangare, Pepe, Kessie, Oulai, Yan Diomande, Bonny.
Subs: Kone, Lafont, Ousmane Diomande, Seri, Singo, Seko Fofana, Adingra, Wahi, Operi, Diakite, Diallo, N’Dicka, Guessand, Toure, Guiagon.
Norway: Nyland, Pedersen, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe, Odegaard, Berge, Berg, Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa.
Subs: Tangvik, Selvik, Thorsby, Ostigard, Larsen, Aursnes, Bjorkan, Thorstvedt, Aasgaard, Schjelderup, Bobb, Hauge, Langas, Falchener, Ryerson.
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela).
… and here’s how Norway have done. Two Group I wins for their main men, one heavy defeat for their B team.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 3 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Senegal | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Iraq | 3 | -11 | 0 |
This is Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026 World Cup story so far. A more than respectable performance in Group E.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Ivory Coast | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Curacao | 3 | -8 | 1 |
This is how we saw it from the outset. Not too much has changed. Plenty of time left for all that.
Preamble
Can you imagine a future where Côte d’Ivoire or Norway are champions of the world? Yan Diomande on one team, Erling Haaland on the other, it’s not entirely beyond the realms, is it? Two of the tournament’s dark horses, these hipster-approved outfits, face off in Texas for a place in the last 16, and we’re here for it. This has the makings of a classic, it could be so much fun. Kick-off is at 1pm local/3pm EDT/6pm BST/3am AEST. It’s on!
