Brazil
World CupWhy this tip?
We predicted Brazil to defeat Japan 2 – 1, and I expect this encounter to end with a similar scoreline. Both sides are in great form and are in red-hot scoring form with their star men delivering on all fronts. However, I believe Brazil has the better side, with their star players finding form at the right time, and I expect the Seleção to qualify in regulation time, defeating The Vikings 2 – 1.
Match Preview
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026
- Matchday: Last 16
- Date: 05 July 2026
- Kick-off time: 16:00 USA (22:00 SA)
- Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium)
Match details
A blockbuster encounter awaits football fans in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Brazil and Norway take centre stage in what should be a match between two high-flying nations. This Round of 16 tie takes place at the New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The match is set to take place on the 05th of July 2026, commencing at 16:00 (GMT-4) in East Rutherford, and 22:00 (GMT+2) in South Africa. We are in the midst of the final 16 teams of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and if you are enjoying our expert coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, please head over to our Topbets World Cup predictions page.
Why this match matters
Brazil and Norway meet for the first time in over two decades in the Round of 16 for a chance to reach the Quarterfinals. Both teams have impressed in the 2026 FIFA World Cup thus far, with Brazil being undefeated and Norway losing just once to France while playing a rotated squad.
Norway holds the edge in this tie, as they are the only national team to have never tasted defeat against the Seleção, boasting two wins and two draws in their four meetings. Their most famous win came in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, when they defeated Brazil in the group stage to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
Spearheaded by their all-time leading goalscorer, Erling Haaland, Norway will look to pull off another monumental upset, but they will have to contend with a sleeping giant in Brazil, who are looking to end their two and a half decade World Cup title drought.
Brazil vs Norway head-to-head stats
Head-to-head record
Brazil and Norway meet for the first time in over two decades, with their most notable encounter being at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, hosted in France. Both teams have met four times in their history, with Norway being the only international team to never taste defeat against the Brazilians, leading the head-to-head (2 – 2 – 0).
In all four of their meetings, both Brazil and Norway found the back of the net, with Norway scoring 8 times, while Brazil scored 5 times. Their four matches included the following details:
- 16/08/2006 (Friendly International): Norway 1 – 1 Brazil
- 28/07/1998 (Friendly International): Norway 1 – 1 Brazil
- 29/06/1998 (1998 FIFA World Cup): Brazil 1 – 2 Norway
- 30/05/1997 (Friendly International); Norway 4 – 2 Brazil
Brazil’s recent form
Brazil’s last five matches: WDWWW–
Brazil are in great form, winning four and drawing one of their last five matches, against the following teams:
- 29/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Brazil 2 – 1 Japan
- 25/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Scotland – 3 Brazil
- 20/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Brazil 3 – 0 Haiti
- 14/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Brazil 1 – 1 Morocco
- 07/06/2026 (Friendly International): Brazil 2 – 1 Egypt
Brazil’s recent outings showcased their ageing squad, which has conceded 3 goals in three of their last five outings. Despite their tired legs, Brazil’s frontline had showcased their blistering pace on the counter, scoring 11 goals in their last five. Brazil are undefeated in their last five, gaining victories against Panama and Egypt heading into the FIFA World Cup.
Brazil’s World Cup campaign started off with a solid performance against Morocco, before defeating Scotland and Haiti by three goals without conceding. They continued their fine start at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a come-from-behind victory over Japan. However, from what I have seen, their recent success was driven more by individual brilliance than by a tactical or team effort, with Real Madrid talisman Vinícius Júnior pivotal to their dominance.
Norway’s recent form
Norway’s last five matches: DWWLW–
Norway heads into their last 16 clash in good form, having won three, drawn once and lost once in their last five outings against the following teams:
- 30/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Côte d’Ivoire 1 – 2 Norway
- 26/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Norway 1 – 4 France
- 23/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Norway 3 – 2 Senegal
- 17/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Iraq 1 – 4 Norway
- 07/06/2026 (Friendly International): Morocco 1 – 1 Norway
Norway had not been in great form since topping their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier group, winning just one of their four matches heading into their opener. They had picked up a huge win over Sweden after losing to the Netherlands and drawing two matches against Morocco and Switzerland.
However, all fears of a poor World Cup showing were put to rest after dismantling Iraq and picking up a solid win against Senegal. They rested players against France, resulting in them losing out on top spot. They continued their fine form in the group stage by scoring a late winner over Côte d’Ivoire in their Round of 32 knockout tie.
In their last five outings, Norway has scored 11 goals and conceded 9. All five games featured both sides scoring, with four ending with over 2.5 goals. Norway has built a strong reputation for outscoring any team put in front of them. However, they have been poor on the defensive transition, which has seen them leak many goals.
Team news
Brazil team news
Injuries: Lucas Paquetá (Hamstring Injury), Raphinha (Hamstring Injury) & Wesley Franca (Muscle Injury)
Suspensions: N/A
Key players to watch: Vinícius Júnior is Brazil’s talisman and the main focal point of their attack. I believe that his explosive acceleration, coupled with his elite 1v1 dribbling out wide, will cause problems for the Norwegian defence. Neymar has returned to the Brazil squad after Raphina’s injury and will be their creative spark in the number 10 role off the bench. With Lucas Paquetá, Brazil will look to pack the frontline, with Endrick dictating much of Brazil’s buildup play, interchanging with Matheus Cunha. He frequently makes dangerous runs into the box and should be a source of goals. Casemiro remains the defensive anchor and will be pivotal in shutting down and neutralising the Norwegian offensive counter-attacks. Bruno Guimarães will be tasked with dropping back to receive the ball from his defence before rapidly passing it upfield to beat the Norwegian press.
Norway team news
Injuries: Julian Ryerson (Thigh Injury)
Suspensions: N/A
Key players to watch: Erling Haaland spearheads Norway’s attack and is their primary goal-scoring threat. His physicality allows him to bully centre-backs, and his clinical positioning inside the 18-yard box consistently creates space to execute his shots and score goals. Sander Berge’s physicality will be crucial as a defensive shield for the Norwegian backline. His positional discipline and elite ball-winning skills will be pivotal to recycling possession and offloading to his attackers. Sevilla shot-stopper Ørjan Nyland has been pivotal to Norway’s winning form. I expect him to be put to the test against a blistering Brazilian attack and to replicate the world-class saves he has made thus far in the World Cup. Martin Ødegaard provides the tactical maturity and calm composure to handle the experience and physicality of the Brazilian midfield. His press-resistant dribbling and elite vision will be crucial to fining Haalands runs deep in the Brazilian final third. The goal threat and relentless work rate of Antonio Nusa will be needed as an outlet for Norway’s counterattacks by utilising the spaces left behind by the Brazilian fullbacks.
Predicted lineups
Brazil predicted XI
With Lucas Paquetá injured, I expect Carlo Ancelotti to adopt a highly pragmatic 4-2-3-1, allowing him to play Endrick in a more versatile attacking-midfield role. This formation allows his defensive shift to a 4-4-2 without the ball. Brazil will look to maximise field coverage to suffocate the Norwegian counterattack and limit the spatial pockets where they thrive. Brazil will need to isolate Norway’s fullbacks out wide, allowing them to stretch Norway’s compact defence and open spaces. I suspect that Ancelotti will maintain his midfield core while plugging holes left by heavy injuries. I expect a few adjustments to the Seleção starting XI, featuring:
Alisson Becker (G) – Danilo – Marquinhos (C) – Gabriel Magalhães – Douglas Santos – Casemiro – Bruno Guimarães – Rayan – Endrick – Vinícius Júnior – Matheus Cunha.
Norway predicted XI
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken will need to maximise the talents of a heavily depleted Erling Haaland, who has said he is fatigued, while maintaining his defensive rigidity. His system looks to slow the game out of possession and close spaces in defence, suffocating Brazil’s wide attacks. In attack, Norway should look to shift the ball quickly to their main goal-scoring threat. I expect Norway to make full use of their set-pieces and utilise the direct 1v1 against the Brazilian central defenders to create goal-scoring opportunities. I predict the Vikings to use the 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI featuring:
Ørjan Nyland (G) – Marcus Holmgren Pedersen – Kristoffer Ajer – Torbjørn Heggem – David Møller Wolfe – Martin Ødegaard (C) – Sander Berge – Patrick Berg – Alexander Sørloth – Erling Haaland – Antonio Nusa.
Best betting markets for Brazil vs Norway
Match winner
Prediction: Brazil to win @ 95/100 (1.95) at BetXchange.
Over/Under goals
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/10 (1.80) at BetXchange.
Both teams to score
Prediction: Both teams to score Yes @ 75/100 (2.00) at BetXchange.
Anytime goalscorer
Prediction: Vinícius Júnior to score anytime @ 25/10 (2.50) at Hollywoodbets.
The knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have taken the world by storm, but the world of sport does not take any breaks. The Rugby Summer Nations Championship is up and running with the Springboks hosting three test matches in July. For more insights into the Summer Nations Championship or tips on the weekly rugby action, check out our Topbets Daily Rugby Predictions page on our website.
Brazil vs Norway prediction
Best bet
Prediction: BTTS & Over 2.5 Goals @ 11/10 (2.10) at Supabets.
Correct score prediction
Prediction: Match to end 2 – 1 to Brazil @ 9/1 (10.00) at WSB.
Match analysis and verdict
Brazil and Norway meet for the fifth time in their history in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Norway boasts the enviable record of being the only international team never to have lost to Brazil and will be hoping that history repeats itself here today. However, they will have a tough task ahead of them against a Brazilian side in great form, with their star man Vinícius Júnior running riot.
We predicted Brazil to defeat Japan 2 – 1, and I expect this encounter to end with a similar scoreline. Both sides are in great form and are in red-hot scoring form with their star men delivering on all fronts. However, I believe Brazil has the better side, with their star players finding form at the right time, and I expect the Seleção to qualify in regulation time, defeating The Vikings 2 – 1.
Writer/Betting Tipster
I have been in the iGaming industry for a decade and am an avid sports bettor and fan. I have expanded my betting knowledge to create articles on the iGaming industry focusing on online casino content and sports betting analysis for several regions, including South Africa. I cover various sports, including Soccer, Cricket and Horse Racing. All my predictions, tips and insights are thoroughly researched and I aim to help fellow punters in beating the bookies!
