A thrilling clash between in-form goal scorers Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will take center stage at the World Cup on Friday, when France plays Norway in a key Group I decider.
Real Madrid star Mbappe and Manchester City striker Haaland have started the tournament in blistering fashion, with four goals each in the race for the Golden Boot, trailing only leader Lionel Messi, who has five.
The two forwards will face off in a heavyweight bout at Foxborough, near Boston, on Friday at 3:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), with first place in the group at stake.
France, who looked magnificent in defeating Senegal and Iraq, has a little advantage, since their superior goal difference means Les Bleus only need a draw to finish first in the group.
But the Norwegians have been similarly brilliant, defeating Iraq 4-1 in their first game and Senegal 3-2 on Monday.
Haaland, who is playing in his first World Cup, has reveled in the spotlight, playing with a swashbuckling spirit that could test even France’s experienced defense.
The 25-year-old has also embraced the tournament off the pitch, relishing the opportunity to explore New York City in relative anonymity.
After clinching a place in the last 32 with the win over Senegal, Haaland insisted he was nonplussed at the prospect of facing France—whom he regards as the favorite for the tournament—and laughed off suggestions that Norway was a title contender.
“To win the World Cup? Absolutely not,” he told Fox Television.
“We’ve won 12 competitive games in a row now. I’m part of something special, making history, and I’m extremely proud to be Norwegian,” adding that he “couldn’t care” about playing France.
“They’re probably going to win against us; they’re probably going to win the whole tournament,” he said.
France’s and Mbappe’s preparations for the game have been disrupted by the departure of manager Didier Deschamps from the team’s camp this week following the death of his mother.
Assistant coach Guy Stephan will take charge of the team until Deschamps returns.
“I am thinking a lot about Didier and his family,” Stephan said. “I am just trying to make a difficult situation as normal as possible.”
A defeat would set up a last 32 clash with Ivory Coast, before a potential meeting with Brazil in the last 16. England could potentially lie in wait in the quarter-finals, with Argentina seeded to be their opponents in the semi-final.
In other games on Friday, Spain will aim to clinch top spot in Group H with a potentially awkward clash with Uruguay in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Uruguayans will need to take at least a point from the fixture to have a chance of progressing to the last 32 after being held to a 2-2 draw by lowly Cape Verde in their second game.
In Group G, Egypt will attempt to clinch top spot with victory over Iran in Seattle in a game that has been laced with controversy.
Friday’s game is part of city-wide events to celebrate Pride in Seattle, and was designated as the “Pride Match” by local officials before the identities of the teams involved was known.
Iranian and Egyptian officials have both expressed opposition to the Seattle Pride celebrations surrounding their match.
Homosexuality is banned in Iran under Islamic law and can result in death. In Egypt, homosexuality is frequently criminalized under loosely worded laws outlawing “debauchery.”
In the other Group G game, Belgium’s aging squad, which includes Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, will try to advance to the knockout rounds by defeating New Zealand.
