Top News

5 July 2026

Brazil and Norway are set to meet in their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash on Sunday at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, USA.

Both sides approach this knockout fixture after securing 2-1 victories in their respective Round of 32 matches. The winner of this encounter will advance to the quarter-finals to face either England or Mexico.

Date: Sunday, 5th July

Kick-off: 9pm BST

Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, USA

Brazil enter the knockout rounds facing a setback as midfield maestro Lucas Paquetá has been ruled out due to a left thigh injury suffered in their final group stage match against Japan.

However, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has received a timely boost with winger Raphinha returning to full training after recovering from a hamstring issue. Ancelotti confirmed that Raphinha is fit enough for selection but will begin on the bench to prevent aggravating his injury.

Neymar is fully fit and expected to feature for the entire match, while veteran midfielder Casemiro has passed his late fitness test after being substituted as a precaution in Brazil’s previous outing.

To fill the creative gap left by Paquetá, Ancelotti is likely to consider either Danilo Santos or teenage sensation Endrick for a midfield role.

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken faces his own selection dilemma, with right-back Julian Ryerson remaining doubtful due to a lingering thigh problem. Although Ryerson is pushing hard to be available, Marcus Pedersen is widely expected to start in defence alongside centre-backs Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjørn Heggem.

Up front, star striker Erling Haaland will lead the line despite admitting to feeling physically drained following Norway’s hard-fought win over the Ivory Coast. Thankfully for Solbakken, his team has no suspension concerns heading into this decisive fixture.

Haaland will spearhead the attack supported by the creative duo of Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sørloth, as Norway stick to their high-tempo 4-3-3 formation.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil have shown impressive form in this tournament. They drew 1-1 with Morocco before registering back-to-back 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland in the group stage. In the Round of 32, they displayed resilience to overturn a deficit and defeat Japan 2-1, courtesy of a 96th-minute winner from Gabriel Martinelli.

Norway’s journey has been unpredictable yet effective, with three wins, one draw, and a single defeat in their last five fixtures. They opened their campaign with a 4-1 win over Iraq and a narrow 3-2 success against Senegal to secure early qualification. After a rotated side suffered a 4-1 loss to France, they bounced back strongly to eliminate Ivory Coast with a 2-1 win.

Brazil predicted lineup: Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos; Guimarães, Casemiro, Danilo Santos; Rayan, Cunha, Vini Jr.

Norway predicted lineup: Nyland; Pedersen, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Berg; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa.

In the United Kingdom, the Brazil vs Norway World Cup Round of 16 match will be broadcast live on ITV1.