A quarter-final showdown in Miami with either co-hosts Mexico or 1966 winners England awaits the winner of the game at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Round of 16
Monday, 6 July | New York New Jersey Stadium
Kick-off time
05:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Brazil are daring to dream of a record-extending sixth FIFA World Cup™ crown after battling past Japan in the Round of 32, with substitute Gabriel Martinelli striking in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory. The Seleção remain the most successful nation in tournament history, but their recent World Cup campaigns have fallen short of expectations. Since lifting the trophy in 2002, they have reached the semi-finals just once – finishing fourth on home soil in 2014. Vinicius Junior has been central to Brazil’s 2026 charge, living up to his reputation as Carlo Ancelotti’s resident talisman by scoring four goals across matches against Morocco, Haiti and Scotland as the South American giants topped Group C with seven points.
A Norway team featuring current coach Stale Solbakken famously defeated defending champions Brazil 2-1 in the group stage of World Cup 1998. The Vikings have waited 28 years to return to football’s biggest stage, with Erling Haaland powering their long-awaited revival. After finishing as the top scorer in UEFA qualifying, the indomitable No9 has continued to deliver at the finals, netting four goals in group triumphs over Iraq and Senegal before firing home the winner against Ivory Coast in the Round of 32. The only blot to the copybook came in a 4-1 loss to France, as a heavily rotated side surrendered top spot in Group I to Didier Deschamps’ men. Norway have reached the Round of 16 for the third time, but have never gone deeper.
Brazil possible starting XI
Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Douglas; Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Danilo Santos; Rayan, Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Junior
Norway possible starting XI
Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Ostigard, Bjorkan; Berg, Odegaard, Berge; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
What they said…
“I don’t think that there’s such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan. Everyone knows how he works. I don’t need to tell my players how to defend. They have obviously played against him several times. Norway are a challenging team. They have structure, are very well organised. We’ll have to be at our best, but I think we can be at our best because we’re confident and have overcome a challenging match against Japan. Our team is in top condition, but we need to continue improving.” Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil coach
“Brazil are still the favourites. But I don’t think they’re as overwhelming favourites as they might have been two, three or four years ago. We’ve been on a very good run ourselves, we’re full of confidence and we’re comfortable in possession. I don’t see much point in putting an exact percentage on it. The important thing is that, on our day, we can hurt Brazil. But we’ll need to be at our absolute best. If we’re not, we won’t have a chance.” Stale Solbakken, Norway coach
New York New Jersey Stadium
Tournament ever-presents Brazil kicked off their 23rd World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco at New York New Jersey Stadium. Norway also graced the venue’s hallowed turf in the group stage, beating Senegal 3-2. The world-class arena hosted a further three group games, as well as France’s 3-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32. Following the hotly anticipated clash between Brazil and Norway, the 80,663-capacity New York New Jersey Stadium will open its illustrious gates just one more time at World Cup 2026, for the final on 19 July.
Away from the World Cup stage, the venue – opened in 2010 – is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. One of the largest stadiums in the USA, it has a proven track record of hosting major sporting events, including Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, international football fixtures and high-profile concerts. With its location in the New York metropolitan area and premium facilities, New York New Jersey Stadium boasts a wealth of big-event experience and has provided a fitting stage for the most inclusive World Cup in history.