The first stage of Norway’s pillage-and-consternation tour concludes Friday afternoon with its Group I capper against France, and while both teams have secured a berth in the knockout round, the match will be appointment viewing for anyone who might be interested in seeing two of the world’s top strikers square off in, um, Boston Stadium.
Norway’s Erling Haaland, well-known among the fútbol cognoscenti for his exploits with Manchester City, has established a beachhead among more casual fans of this World Cup, scoring four goals in his first two matches and trailing Lionel Messi as one of three runners-up in the Golden Boot race. Now playing in his third World Cup, the 27-year-old Frenchman Kylian Mbappé also has buried four chances; he and Haaland will look to add to their totals in Foxborough, where FIFA’s draconian sponsorship rules forced Gillette Stadium officials to obscure the venue’s logo with baggy white tarps.
Modest to a fault, Haaland’s assessment of Norway’s chances against France shouldn’t dissuade anyone from getting an early start to the weekend. When interviewed by Fox Sports following Monday’s two-goal performance against Senegal, the 6-foot-5 Norseman said he wasn’t all that fired up about the France match, as the 3-2 win over the Lions had effectively eliminated the element of suspense.
