Norway and Sweden are set to meet in a friendly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a matchup that doubles as a quick read on how sharp Norway looks after a qualifying run that turned heads across Europe. Norway will use the game as another test of its surge, while Sweden gets a chance to measure itself against a side many now view as a threat heading into next summer.
Matteo Bonetti said Norway is back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the timing matters because the team did not drift into the tournament on reputation alone. Bonetti said Norway dominated a qualifying group that included Italy and went undefeated through the process, with Erling Haaland scoring 16 goals in eight matches — a rate of two goals per game — while Norway was favored to win this friendly.
That is why Norway vs Sweden is drawing attention now. Norway is making only its fourth World Cup appearance, but the mood around the team is very different from past cycles because the qualifying run suggested real momentum rather than hope. Bonetti framed Haaland as the central reason, saying he has spent his career watching the World Cup on television while other stars played on the biggest stage, and that Norway did not sneak through but bulldozed its way into the tournament picture.
Sweden brings a different kind of weight into the meeting. The team will be making its 13th World Cup appearance, a reminder that its history at the tournament is far deeper than Norway’s, even if the present form line points the other way. That contrast is part of what gives the friendly some edge: Norway arrives as the favorite, but Sweden’s record at the World Cup is the more established one.
Bonetti also argued that Norway’s ceiling may be higher than many expect, saying it could beat Senegal and take something from France if it keeps the same core together, with Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sørloth alongside Haaland. He added that once the knockout rounds begin, no one will want to face Norway, a view that will be tested only after the friendly and the rest of the build-up settle into the larger reality of the tournament.
FOX One will stream all FIFA World Cup games from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with 48 national teams set to compete across the group stage and knockout rounds. For now, the nearest checkpoint is the friendly itself, though the exact date and venue for Norway vs Sweden were not provided.
