Ivory Coast and Norway meet in a FIFA World Cup round of 32 match at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, June 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. local time (5 p.m. GMT, 6 p.m. BST, 7 p.m. CAT and Norwegian time).
Nineteen-year-old Yan Diomande has been Ivory Coast’s principal creative force at the tournament, helping drive a 1-0 win over Ecuador and a 2-0 victory over Curaçao and producing a strong showing in a 2-1 defeat to Germany. Diomande has led his team with 10 key passes and registered one assist, as per Flashscore. He is reportedly close to a move to Paris Saint-Germain for about €100 million plus add-ons, according to ESPN, and has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.
Norway enter the game with Erling Haaland in form after back-to-back braces in wins over Iraq (4-1) and Senegal (3-2). Haaland and several other regulars were rested for a 4-1 loss to France, a selection that determined Ivory Coast would be Norway’s opponent in the round of 32.
In team news, Norway apparently sought to preserve freshness by keeping stars such as Haaland and Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard on the bench against France. Ivory Coast right-back Wilfried Singo, who plays for Galatasaray, missed the Curaçao game after sustaining an injury against Germany and is listed as doubtful for the clash in Dallas.
Expected lineups list Ivory Coast with Yahia Fofana in goal; Ghislain Konan, Emmanuel Agbadou, Odilon Kossounou and Guéla Doué across the back; Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré in midfield; Yan Diomande, Nicolas Pépé and Amad Diallo in attacking roles; and Ange-Yoan Bonny up front. Norway’s projected XI includes Ørjan Nyland; David Wolfe, Torbjørn Heggem, Kristoffer Ajer and Julian Ryerson in defense; Fredrik Aursnes, Sander Berge and Martin Ødegaard in midfield; Antonio Nusa, Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth in attack.
Broadcast options for the match include Radiodiffusion-Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI) and Nouvelle Chaîne Ivoirienne (NCI) in Ivory Coast, with New World TV and beIN SPORTS among other rights holders. SuperSport will carry the game across much of Sub-Saharan Africa and SportyTV is another option. BBC One will air the match in the U.K., Fox Sports in the U.S., Zee5 in India, SBS in Australia, and NRK and TV2 hold rights in Norway.
