Mbappe and Haaland Set for First National-Team Clash as World Cup Group Stage Reaches Final Round

The World Cup group stage is heading into its final matches in Groups Z and T, with two major headliners: France against Norway and Belgium against New Zealand, both on Friday at 22:00. The article says the France-Norway meeting is a clash that could easily have been scheduled deeper into the tournament, as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are set to face each other for the fourth time overall, and for the first time as national-team teammates. The match will decide the top of the group, and the runner-up could face Ivory Coast or Ecuador, a potentially difficult knockout path.

In the other Group Z match in Toronto, Senegal will meet Iraq in a battle for third place. Senegal has shown good form in its first two games but still has no points in the World Cup. The team is also dealing with off-field problems, including unpaid wages and disagreement over its coach’s contract. Iraq is seeking a surprise result that would be its first-ever World Cup win. Captain Ayman Hussein, 40, is doubtful after an injury in the previous round, while Ali Al-Hamadi is expected to start. The winner could face Mexico or Switzerland in the final 16.

Group T is also wide open. Belgium will try in Vancouver to avoid being eliminated from the group stage for a second straight tournament when it faces New Zealand, which needs three points to keep its World Cup run alive. Belgium has looked better than its results in both matches but has not converted that into wins. Rudi Garcia is expected to start Dodi Lukebakio on the right wing.

The other Group T game will see Iran take on Egypt. A win for Egypt would give it first place in the group and a first-ever place in the World Cup knockout stage. Iran, meanwhile, needs to win by a better scoreline than Belgium if it wants to finish top of the group.