Brazil vs Norway: Preview, Team News and Score Prediction as Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr Collide

Brazil and Norway are set to clash at MetLife Stadium on Sunday in a World Cup 2026 round of 16 fixture, marking their first encounter on the world's biggest stage in 28 years.

Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Japan 2-1, while Norway, powered by a late Erling Haaland winner, secured their spot in the knockout rounds with an identical scoreline against Ivory Coast.

As they prepare for Sunday's crucial match in New Jersey, Brazil will be acutely aware of their surprisingly poor record against the Norwegians. In four previous meetings, the South American giants have never managed a victory.

Their most famous encounter took place at the Stade Velodrome in 1998, where a star-studded Brazil team surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose in the final minutes. While Brazil had already secured their passage as group winners, the result remains a notable blemish on their record.

Fast forward to 2026, and that winless streak still stands, with the last meeting being a 1-1 friendly draw in 2006. This historical context adds pressure for Ancelotti, whose team was just 45 minutes away from facing intense criticism before turning their match against Japan around.

After Kaishu Sano gave the Blue Samurai a first-half lead, the Italian manager made a bold tactical switch, introducing Endrick and shifting to an aggressive 4-2-4 formation. The gamble paid off, as Casemiro equalised before Gabriel Martinelli netted a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time.

Since their last World Cup triumph in 2002, the tournament has been a source of frustration for the five-time champions. Now, Ancelotti's squad aims to avoid their earliest exit since 1990, when they were eliminated by rivals Argentina at this same stage.

On the other side, only a handful of Norway's current players were even born for the famous 1998 victory in Marseille. While Brazil remains a formidable opponent, they are not the seemingly invincible force of decades past, a fact that should bolster the Vikings' confidence.

Stale Solbakken's team has adopted an attack-minded approach in this tournament, scoring and conceding in every match so far. Their only defeat came in the final group game against France, where a heavily rotated side was beaten 4-1 by one of the tournament favourites. With their first-choice lineup restored, Norway will be confident they can cause another major upset.

Brazil is already without the injured Raphinha and now faces fitness concerns over key midfielders Lucas Paqueta and Casemiro. Paqueta was substituted at halftime against Japan, while Casemiro was withdrawn just before Martinelli's late winner.

While Casemiro is expected to be fit, Paqueta is likely to be replaced in the starting lineup by Danilo Santos. Despite failing to score against Japan, Manchester United's Matheus Cunha is expected to lead the line, keeping Martinelli on the bench.

Ancelotti is anticipated to stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation, resisting the urge to start with the more aggressive system that turned the tide in the previous match. All eyes will be on Vinicius Junior, who has been in sensational form with four goals and one assist in the tournament so far.

Norway faces a selection dilemma ahead of their clash with Brazil, as defender Julian Ryerson remains a doubt. The full-back was forced off with a thigh injury just 13 minutes into the match against Senegal and has since missed games against France and the Ivory Coast, though he is reportedly nearing a return.

In attack, Norway will lean heavily on Erling Haaland, who has been in sensational form during his World Cup debut. The striker has already scored five goals, placing him two behind tournament top scorers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Haaland's impressive tally accounts for half of the team's 10 goals so far.

While Haaland provides the finishing touch, the creative burden has been shared. Captain Martin Odegaard has been instrumental, providing three assists, while Patrick Berg has set up two goals, underscoring their importance in Stale Solbakken's system. The remaining goals for the Vikings have come from four different players and an own goal.

The match will kick off at 11pm East African time and will be live on SuperSport TV and Azam TV.

Brazil: Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos; Guimaraes, Casemiro, Danilo Santos; Rayan, Cunha, Vini Jr.

Norway: Nyland; Pedersen, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe; Odegaard, Berge, Berg; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa

While Brazil enters as the favourites, Norway's direct and aggressive style could pose significant problems for a defence that has looked susceptible to counter-attacks. Both teams are expected to score, given the Vikings' high-risk, high-reward approach.