Brazil face Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Brazil will look to continue their march towards a sixth FIFA World Cup title when they face surprise package Norway in a fascinating Round of 16 clash at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were pushed to the limit in the previous round before edging Japan 2-1 thanks to a dramatic late winner from Gabriel Martinelli.
It was far from Brazil’s most convincing display, but it underlined the resilience and quality within the squad as they found a way through after falling behind.
Norway, meanwhile, have already exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stages for the first time in 28 years. Stale Solbakken’s side stunned Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal late on after Antonio Nusa’s opener had been cancelled out by Amad Diallo.
Despite Haaland publicly admitting that Norway’s chances against Brazil are “very slim”, the Scandinavians will take confidence from their famous 2-1 victory over the Selecao at the 1998 World Cup.
Team News
Brazil have no fresh injury concerns following their dramatic victory over Japan.
Carlo Ancelotti is expected to stick with much of the side that started the Round of 32, although Endrick could retain his place after making a lively impact against Japan.
Neymar has returned to training after recovering from injury but is expected to begin the match on the bench as he continues to build his fitness.
Norway are expected to have a fully fit squad available. Erling Haaland will once again lead the line after taking his tournament tally to five goals, while Martin Odegaard will captain the side from midfield.
Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb are both expected to keep their places after impressive performances throughout the tournament.
Brazil vs Norway Predicted XI
Brazil:
Alisson; Vanderson, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Guilherme Arana; Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Lucas Paqueta; Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Junior.
Norway:
Orjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Leo Ostigard, Kristoffer Ajer, David Moller Wolfe; Martin Odegaard, Patrick Berg, Sander Berge; Antonio Nusa, Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb.
Score Prediction
Brazil 2-1 Norway.
