This evening, Gillette Stadium in Boston will be the scene of the clash between France and Norway. For this third act of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the Blues and the Vikings, both undefeated so far (6 points), will compete for first place in Group I. Which was the objective of Didier Deschamps, who wants to finish on top in order to have a table which will allow him to avoid long trips and to stay in the area where the Tricolores are established. This evening, the French coach will experience this meeting far from his bench, he who had to urgently return to the country after the death of his mother. He will be replaced by his faithful deputy, Guy Stéphan, to whom he certainly passed on his instructions.
Thus, the staff, who will be able to count on everyone, will make some changes during this match. This will not be the case in the cages, where Mike Maignan will take his place. In front of him, the team will be structured in 4-2-3-1. After giving way to Lucas Digne against Iraq, Theo Hernandez will return to the left lane. Maxence Lacroix, for his part, will be established in place of William Saliba, who will be able to breathe while he suffers from his back. The Crystal Palace player will be supported by the colossus Dayot Upamecano. Finally, Jules Koundé will occupy the position of right side. If Malo Gusto was once mentioned, it is the Barça defender who will be there at kick-off. In the midfield, the staff also decided to let Adrien Rabiot rest.
4 changes in the French eleven
He will start on the bench. It is Aurélien Tchouameni, who had not started against the Iraqis, who will take his place alongside Manu Koné. In attack, Désiré Doué will return to the left wing after giving way to Bradley Barcola during the last match. For the rest, it will be classic. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé will be there. If we thought that DD and his teams could have given them a rest in anticipation of the rest of the competition, they finally decided to make them play. With a first place in the group at stake, this decision seems rather logical. In the opposite camp, Norway will also be at full strength. Even if Erling Haaland assured that France is the favorite of the group and that it will win the tournament, the Vikings intend to win.
For this, Stale Solbakken should opt for a 4-3-3. Contrary to what he suggested to the press, he will not change everything this evening. Thus, Ørjan Yland will start in goal. He will a priori be supported by the Björkan-Östigard-Ajer-Pedersen quartet. They will have their work cut out to contain the French assaults. To win the midfield battle, Norway will count on the trio Thorstvedt-Berg-Ödegaard. Finally, to lead the attack, Schjelderup and Bobb will support the team’s star Erling Haaland. The Cyborg will be able to continue his match remotely with Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi for the title of top scorer of the tournament. A beautiful poster in perspective to follow live on our site at 9 p.m. with live commentary.
