Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will likely be seeing loads of one another when France and Norway sq. off in one of the vital anticipated matchups of the 2026 World Cup group stage. Group I is now full, with Iraq incomes the ultimate spot after coming by way of the worldwide playoff spherical.
On Tuesday, Iraq and Bolivia clashed at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, for a spot on the World Cup, and after a 2-1 victory, the Asian nation will likely be competing on soccer’s greatest stage for under the second time in its historical past. The winner of that playoff collection had already been slotted into Group I alongside France, Norway and Senegal.
With the group now finalized, Haaland, who guided Norway to its first World Cup since 1998, will open his match towards Iraq on Matchday 1 on June sixteenth, whereas France will face the Center Jap nation on Matchday 2 on June twenty second. Then, on the twenty sixth, Mbappe and Haaland will lastly share a pitch on the World Cup on Matchday 3, in what figures to be a first-place showdown.
Erling Haaland holds a slender edge over Mbappe
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have been two of probably the most prolific strikers of their technology, with every claiming one of many final three European Golden Boots. However relating to head-to-head conferences on the pitch, the Norwegian holds a slight edge over the Frenchman.
Kylian Mbappe of Actual Madrid speaks with Erling Haaland of Manchester Metropolis.
In matches the place each gamers noticed time, Haaland and Mbappé have crossed paths thrice, with the Norwegian popping out on prime twice towards only one win for the French star. That lone victory for Mbappe got here within the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Spherical of 16, when PSG edged Borussia Dortmund 2-1 within the first leg of their opening assembly.
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Haaland answered again with a 2-0 win within the second leg of that very same tie, after which within the 2024-25 UCL playoff spherical, Manchester Metropolis defeated Actual Madrid 3-2 within the first leg. Haaland sat out the second leg, and throughout their three most up-to-date encounters within the 2025-26 Champions League, spanning the league part and the Spherical of 16, the 2 have but to share the pitch on the identical time.
Head-to-head between France and Norway
On the worldwide stage, the final assembly between France and Norway got here again in 2014, a time when neither Mbappe, who earned his first cap in 2017, nor Haaland, who debuted in 2019, had but pulled on their nationwide group jerseys. Meaning their upcoming conflict on the 2026 World Cup will mark the primary time they face off whereas representing their respective international locations.
Trying on the all-time collection between the 2 nations, France holds the higher hand with seven wins, whereas Norway has claimed victory on 4 events, with 4 further matches ending in a draw. The latest chapter got here in that Could 2014 pleasant forward of the Brazil World Cup, the place Les Bleus ran out convincing 4-0 winners over the Scandinavians.
