France and Norway meet in World Cup group stage match

France and Norway meet in a group stage match at Gillette Stadium with both sides already assured of advancing to the round of 32. The contest features forwards from each team and comes with limited implications for qualification. Norway coach Stale Solbakken said the team plans to rest players ahead of the knockout stage.

"It is an important game, but the most important is the round of 32," Solbakken said.

paths France currently leads Group I.

A win would secure top position, while Norway would face a quarterfinal route through Ivory Coast and the winner of Brazil versus Japan if it finishes second. The Group I runner-up would next play the winner of Germany versus Paraguay before a potential matchup against Sweden.

Belgium situation Belgium enters its final group match against New Zealand needing a point to reach the knockout stage. The team has recorded limited scoring chances in its first two matches. New Zealand has allowed 3.37 expected goals across its group games. A loss or draw for Belgium would set up a round-of-32 matchup against a higher-seeded opponent.