Norway faces Ivory Coast in World Cup last 32 as Haaland returns to the pitch

Erling Haaland is set to return to Norway’s starting lineup when they face Ivory Coast in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 on June 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Manchester City striker was rested during Norway’s group stage finale, a 4-1 defeat to France, and his absence was felt.

Haaland has scored four goals in three World Cup matches this tournament. Norway hasn’t reached the knockout rounds of a World Cup since 1998, and they’ll need every bit of his firepower to keep the run alive.

The road to Arlington

Norway advanced as runners-up in their group, finishing behind France. That 4-1 loss to close the group stage looked ugly on paper, but by that point Norway had already secured their passage. Resting Haaland was a calculated gamble, preserving their most dangerous weapon for the matches that actually matter.

The winner of this match progresses to the Round of 16. For Norway, the 1998 World Cup squad featured Tore Andre Flo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Kickoff is set for around 6:00 PM local time in Texas.

Where crypto meets the World Cup

Neither Norway nor Ivory Coast has any official crypto sponsorships or fan tokens tied to this match. A Solana-based meme token called $HAALAND exists, completely unaffiliated with the player himself.

Sorare, the fantasy football platform built on blockchain, has historically featured Haaland cards that traded at eye-watering prices. One Haaland NFT on the platform sold for over 265 ETH.

Coinbase has also gotten in on the action, offering prediction markets for match outcomes including Haaland goals and assists.

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