Ivory Coast vs Norway – Bet Builder Tips (World Cup 2026)

This is Ivory Coast’s first ever World Cup knockout appearance, while Norway are back at this stage for the first time since 1998. Both sides have already exceeded expectations just by being here — now neither wants to be the one going home first.

The case for Norway starts and ends with one man. Erling Haaland has scored four times in the two games in which he’s played so far at this tournament, and boasts the best goals-per-match ratio of any player with more than 50 international goals in the last century. He was rested for the France defeat purely to arrive in Dallas refreshed. 

They go up against an Ivory Coast side that performed very well in Group E.

Nicolas Pépé scored twice against Curaçao with the fastest goal in his nation’s World Cup history, and his strike partner Yan Diomande became only the second player this century to create 10+ chances and complete 10+ dribbles across his first three World Cup appearances.

I am not touching the match winner market here — both sides have a real case and the price reflects that.

Instead I have built a three-leg builder with Betfred that pulls from both ends of the pitch — Haaland’s finishing, the open-game pattern both teams have shown, and Pépé’s proven shooting boots leading the Ivorian attack. It comes in at 1.99/1.

Ivory Coast vs Norway match details

• Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
• Kick-off: 6:00 PM BST
• Venue: Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium), Arlington, Texas, USA
• Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 32
• TV channel: BBC One / BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)

Our 1.99/1 Bet Builder: Erling Haaland to score (sub switch), both teams to score, Nicolas Pépé to have 1+ shot on target

Haaland scores because he has not stopped scoring all year — and Betfred’s Sub Switch market means the bet stays alive even if Ståle Solbakken withdraws him late, with extra time now included too.

Both teams find the net because both sides have shown a clear pattern of goals at both ends this tournament.

And Pépé getting a shot away gives the builder genuine representation from the Ivorian side too — built around the player who has proven himself to be their most reliable finisher.

• Erling Haaland to Score (Sub Switch) – 4/6 with Betfred
• Both Teams to Score (Yes) – 4/6 with Betfred
• Nicolas Pépé to Have 1+ Shot on Target – 4/9 with Betfred

Check the latest World cup odds before placing — this is one of the most fluid match winner markets left in the Round of 32.

Ivory Coast vs Norway bet builder breakdown

Erling Haaland to score (sub switch)

Why: Haaland has scored four goals at this World Cup already — a brace against Iraq and another two against Senegal. He boasts 59 goals in 52 appearances for Norway, the best goal-per-match ratio of any player with more than 50 international goals in the last 100 years.

He has scored 55 goals since the start of last season alone, with 12 in his last 12 matches. He was rested in their final group game against France to ensure he would be fully fit and firing here.

Betfred’s Sub Switch feature means this bet stays live even if he is substituted, and now covers extra time too — genuine extra value given Solbakken’s track record of rotating once a result looks secure.

Stat: Haaland is priced as the clear anytime scorer favourite against Ivory Coast, well clear of the next closest player on the board.

Bet on Erling Haaland to score (sub switch) at 4/6 with Betfred

Both teams to score (yes)

Why: Both teams have scored in nine of Norway’s last ten matches — that is about as strong a BTTS pattern as you will find anywhere in the competition.

Ivory Coast have proven they can find the net consistently — they opened the scoring in every single group game, a feat only one other African nation has ever managed at a World Cup.

Norway’s defence allowed more expected goals per match than Ivory Coast while winning ground duels at one of the lowest rates in the tournament — there is a route through for the Elephants even against a side with Haaland leading the line.

Stat: Both teams have scored in nine of Norway’s last ten matches. Ivory Coast scored first in all three group games this tournament.

Tip Both teams to score (yes) at 4/6 with Betfred

Nicolas Pépé to have 1+ shot on target 

Why: Pépé scored with two of his three shots on target against Curaçao, a 67% conversion rate, with his opening goal the fastest in his country’s World Cup history at six minutes and four seconds.

It was a performance that justified manager Emerse Faé bringing him back into the fold, especially after Pépé rediscovered his scoring touch at Villarreal following a difficult end to his Arsenal career.

He is Ivory Coast’s primary shooter, and a player finishing two-for-two on target in his last outing does not need many sniffs to test the keeper again. 

Stat: Pépé found the net with both of his shots against Curaçao and completed 40 of 43 passes attempted — a player at the top of his form heading into the knockout stage.

The caveat is Ivory Coast as a team have only a 29.0% shot-on-target percentage, the lowest of any side they could realistically meet at this tournament, but Pépé personally has been the exception to that pattern.

Back Nicolas Pépé to have 1+ shot on target at 4/9 with Betfred

How to place Ivory Coast vs Norway bet builder with Betfred

1. Log in to your Betfred account or register if you are a new customer
2. Navigate to the football section and find Ivory Coast vs Norway under World Cup 2026
3. Select the Bet Builder feature from the menu at the top of the match page
4. Add Erling Haaland under the Player to Score (Sub Switch) market — the builder calculates the combined price automatically
5. Add Both Teams to Score
6. Add Nicolas Pépé under the Player 1+ Shots On Target (Sub Switch) market
7. Once all three legs are showing click Add to Bet Slip
8. Enter your stake and confirm — double check the combined odds match 1.99/1 before placing

New to bet builders? Our World Cup betting guide breaks down exactly how these work before you place your first one.

Stats that matter for your bet

When putting together this bet builder, keep an eye on stats which:

• Support Haaland to score: Haaland is priced as the standout anytime scorer favourite for this fixture, with Sub Switch coverage adding extra protection to the bet.
• Support both teams to score: Both teams have scored in nine of Norway’s last ten matches, while Ivory Coast scored first in every single group game this tournament.
• Support Pépé shot on target: Pépé became just the second Ivory Coast player to score 2+ goals in a World Cup match, two decades after Aruna Dindane’s brace in 2006, finishing with two shots on target from three attempts.
• Team news: Emmanuel Agbadou should return to Ivory Coast’s back four, but Wilfried Singo is struggling with a hamstring injury and Amad Diallo is a doubt after being substituted on matchday three. For Norway, Julian Ryerson is a doubt at right-back with a thigh injury picked up against Senegal, though Haaland, Ødegaard and the rest of the first-choice attack are fully available.

Why we are backing this Ivory Coast vs Norway bet builder

I want to be upfront about how these legs relate to each other rather than pretend they’re three completely separate bets.

Back Haaland to score and you’re also halfway to Both Teams to Score landing too — pair them together and what you’re really asking is whether Ivory Coast can also find the net at the other end.

The data says they usually do: they opened the scoring in every single group game this tournament, and Norway’s defence has shown real cracks against quality opposition. 

So rather than three unrelated risks, this builder is really two questions — does Haaland score, and do Ivory Coast respond — plus a genuinely separate third angle in Pépé, who has been the sharpest individual finisher on either side heading into the knockout stage.

That structure is honest about where the risk sits, and I still think it represents good value at 1.99/1 with Betfred. There are also strong betting offers worth checking before kickoff on a Round of 32.

Ivory Coast vs Norway odds

• Ivory Coast win – 12/5 with Betfred
• Draw – 12/5 with BoyleSports
• Norway win – 9/8 with 247Bet

Ivory Coast vs Norway match prediction and line-ups

This is genuinely one of the hardest games in the Round of 32 to call, and the experts are split on it. Several previews are backing Norway to come out on top in normal time, and the read keeps landing narrowly on Norway, with Haaland and a set piece expected to make the difference in what should be a tight, low-margin game.

But I am not entirely sold on that being a clean win. There is a credible case the other way too — Ivory Coast have been more clinical with their passing and far more defensively stout, and Norway’s leaky back line is the obvious weak point for the Elephants to target.

My honest read sits between those two camps. I expect a tight game that could easily go to extra time rather than either side settling it in normal time.

Haaland is good enough to win this single-handedly, but the longer Ivory Coast keep it level, the more dangerous they become. I think both teams find the net, the game is still level after 90, and Norway’s superior individual quality eventually tells in extra time.

Prediction: Ivory Coast 1-1 Norway (Norway win after extra time)

• Back Erling Haaland to score 
• Both teams to score

Ivory Coast predictions (4-3-3): Emmanuel Agbadou should return to the back four after missing the Curaçao match, but Wilfried Singo is struggling with a hamstring injury and Amad Diallo is a doubt after being subbed on matchday three.

Diomande created the joint-most chances of any player and attempted the most dribbles in the Curaçao win despite playing only 67 minutes — Faé has shown complete faith in the 19-year-old to dictate play from the left, and Pépé has been brought back into the fold after rediscovering his scoring touch at Villarreal.

Diallo’s fitness is the one doubt to watch — Christ Oulai or Simon Adingra are the likely alternatives if he is unavailable.

• Predicted XI: Y Fofana; Doue, Kossounou, Agbadou, Konan; Pepe, Sangare, Kessie; Diallo, Bonny, Y Diomande

Norway predictions(4-3-3): Haaland is expected to start after sitting out the France defeat purely for rest — Ståle Solbakken called it “a no-brainer” to bring him back for the knockout stage.

Martin Ødegaard returns to captain the side and pull the strings from midfield, alongside Antonio Nusa returning on the left flank.

Julian Ryerson is a doubt at right-back following his thigh injury against Senegal — the exact midfield shape may shift slightly depending on his fitness, so check for late team news before kickoff.

• Predicted XI: Nyland; Aursnes, Ajer, Ostigard, Møller Wolfe; Berge, Berg, Ødegaard; Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa

About the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)

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