Norway head coach, Ståle Solbakken, has highlighted Ivory Coast’s physicality as the biggest challenge his team must overcome when the sides meet in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
The Elephants secured a place in the knockout rounds for the first time in their history after defeating Curacao 2-0 in their final Group E match.
Nicolas Pepe scored both goals as Emerse Fae’s men produced a composed display to seal qualification as group runners-up.
Norway also advanced despite suffering a 4-1 defeat to France in their final group game, finishing second in their section to book a date with the West Africans.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Solbakken praised the balance and quality within the Ivorian squad, while stressing that physical strength remains one of their most dangerous attributes.
“I think they have a good mix in their midfield three, with a playmaker, a runner and a stabiliser,” Solbakken said as quoted by FIFA.com.
“They also have two good wingers, a striker that can both keep the ball up and go behind and they have two powerhouses at centre-back.
“Their team is very good, but we are a good team when we play to our best. So, let’s see in four days.
“We have cancelled out their one extra day to rest (by making changes for the France match) so now we should be on equal terms in terms of physicality, which I see as one of their biggest strengths.”
Ivory Coast’s historic campaign began with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador and has already delivered the nation’s first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stage.
Elsewhere, Iraq coach Graham Arnold attributed his team’s crushing 5-0 loss to Senegal to an early red card and costly defensive mistakes.
The Iraqis were reduced to 10 men shortly after conceding the opening goal when Rebin Sulaka was judged to have denied Sadio Mane a clear scoring opportunity.
“It was really tough today after that early red card. When you make the mistakes that we had, you get punished at a World Cup,” said Arnold.
“We had an extremely tough group here. We performed well in two of the three matches. It has been an enjoyable journey and hopefully the players will return home with good experiences.
“They have now learned what it takes to play against these types of players. The fans were so loud and so noisy. We are so proud that we have given the fans this opportunity to enjoy the World Cup.”
Senegal, guaranteed a place among the eight best third-placed teams, will face one of England, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal or Colombia in the Round of 32.
