The knockout stage begins

The group stage is done, and now the World Cup enters the territory where reputations are forged. Erling Haaland arrives at AT&T; Stadium in Arlington with four goals in two group appearances — a return that helped drive Norway into the round of 32 despite a heavy defeat to France in a match he sat out.

Ivory Coast stand in their way. For the Elephants, this is uncharted ground — it marks their first-ever appearance in a World Cup knockout match. For Norway, the milestone is similarly elusive: the Vikings have never won at this stage, falling to Italy in 1938 and again in 1998, and failing to progress beyond the group phase at USA 94.

How to watch the match

Kick-off at AT&T; Stadium is scheduled for 6:00pm BST / 1:00pm ET / 3:00am AEST (Wednesday). Fans in the UK can stream the match free on BBC iPlayer, with build-up from 5:30pm BST. In Australia, free coverage is available via SBS On Demand. US viewers can watch on Fox, accessible through Fox One, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, Sling, or DirecTV.

Free streams are also available in Ireland via RTÉ Player, in Belgium via RTBF/VRT, in the Netherlands via NOS, in Switzerland via SRF/RTS/RSI, in Brazil via CazéTV on YouTube, and in Turkey via TRT.

Ivory Coast's road to the last 32

The Elephants reached this stage by finishing second in Group E. Their campaign included a 2-0 victory over Curacao, with Nicolas Pépé netting both goals in Philadelphia, as well as a win over Ecuador. Now they face a European side for the first time in this tournament.

The current Ivory Coast squad carries the legacy of legends — Didier Drogba, Kolo Touré, Yaya Touré — but only Franck Kessié now holds more than 70 international caps. Kessié also contributed to the scoring during the group stage, continuing a new generation that announced itself by winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023. Still, two consecutive absences from the World Cup had underlined the distance from the golden era that produced three straight tournament appearances from 2006.

Norway's history in Haaland's hands

Norway manager Stale Solbakken has 25 other players at his disposal, but the numbers speak for themselves: four goals in two matches from Haaland, followed by a loss to France in the game the Manchester City striker missed. Norway's World Cup fate has rarely been so clearly tied to one individual.

Alongside Haaland, Martin Odegaard brings Premier League pedigree to a squad that, when fully firing, is formidable. But history still awaits — Norway have yet to taste victory in a World Cup knockout match after 87 years of trying.

Match prediction

Both sides possess genuine quality, but Norway carry the greater threat in Haaland. FourFourTwo predicts Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway, with the Manchester City striker expected to be the difference-maker once again.