FIFA has decided to keep the original schedule for Brazil’s round-of-16 match against Norway at the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, brushing off earlier proposals to delay the kickoff by an hour because of forecast extreme heat in New Jersey. Organisers had examined whether to push back the match to avoid a clash with the Mexico-England fixture in Mexico City, but the fixture at MetLife Stadium will now begin as planned at 17:00 Brasília time (16:00 local), with temperatures expected to feel as high as 38°C.

In Brazil, the narrative around the Seleção has focused on their narrow escape against Japan, where Gabriel Martinelli’s 95th-minute winner averted an early exit. The five-time champions, who topped their group with victories over Haiti and Scotland and a draw against Morocco, enter the Norway test with Vinícius Júnior in sharp form, his four goals marking him as their most potent threat. Ancelotti’s preparations, however, have been complicated by the loss of midfielder Lucas Paquetá to a leg injury suffered in that Japan match, while Neymar’s availability—declared fit for a full 90 minutes—remains subject to a final decision.

European observers, meanwhile, note that Norway’s return to the knockout phase for the first time in nearly three decades has been defined by the clinical finishing of Erling Haaland, who has struck five times, and the creative orchestration of Martin Ødegaard. Solbakken’s side navigated the group stage with wins over Iraq and Senegal before a heavily rotated line-up fell to France, and they survived a nervy 2-1 encounter against Ivory Coast in the last 32. Their defensive record—eight goals conceded in four matches—contrasts with their attacking output, but Haaland and Ødegaard have repeatedly delivered when required.

The winner will meet either Mexico or England in the quarter-finals, a match-up that will shape the remaining path through the tournament.