Ivory Coast Face Norway in Last-32 Showdown with Rested Strikeforce

Ivory Coast scraped through Group E as runners-up, finishing just behind Germany on goal difference after winning two of their three matches. Amad Diallo's dramatic 90th-minute strike gave them a 1-0 win over Ecuador, before they bounced back from a 2-1 loss to Germany with a commanding 2-0 display against Curacao, Nicolas Pepe bagging both goals.

Norway, meanwhile, took a rather unconventional route to the knockout rounds. They hammered Iraq 4-1 in their opener before dispatching Senegal 3-2, with Erling Haaland scoring twice in both fixtures. However, manager Stale Solbakken caused eyebrows to raise by making 10 changes for their final group game against France, a decision that backfired spectacularly as the tournament favourites ran out 4-1 winners. The tactical gamble suggested Norway were content with second place and prioritised keeping their star names fresh.

Match Details

The last-32 encounter kicks off at 6pm BST (noon local time) on Tuesday, June 30 at Dallas Stadium. BBC One will televise proceedings from 5pm, with BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT offering commentary coverage.

Team News

Emerse Fae's Ivory Coast side appear to have a fully fit squad for this knockout clash, with yellow cards from the group phase wiped clean. Norway should see the return of their main contingent, particularly Haaland and Martin Odegaard, after Solbakken's rotation policy against France. The expectation is that the Norwegians will revert to the XI that produced the goods against Senegal.

The Betting

Norway sit as slight favourites at 21/20 to win in 90 minutes, with Ivory Coast at 13/5 and a draw priced at 5/2. In the outright qualification market, Norway are 4/7 to progress while Ivory Coast are 6/4. Tournament odds have both sides as rank outsiders—Norway 150/1 and Ivory Coast 225/1.

The Verdict

Norway's decision to protect their key players for the knockout stages hints at genuine ambition to make a deep run. They've already shown they can trouble African sides, having dispatched Senegal convincingly, and their superior attacking prowess should give them the edge here. The concern is their defensive fragility—eight goals scored but seven conceded and not a single clean sheet to their name.

Haaland, though, remains the tournament's most clinical finisher, having struck twice in both his starts. Back him to continue that pattern, whether as a first goalscorer at 16/5 or as part of a Bet Builder combining his anytime goal with a Norway win and both teams scoring, available around 7/2.