Saliba and Odegaard Shine as France and Norway Advance
William Saliba and Martin Odegaard are safely into the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup, each playing their part in very different, but equally charged, group-stage victories on a wild Monday night.
Saliba imperious as France cruise in the rain
In Philadelphia, the rain never really stopped. Nor did France.
Saliba played every minute of a 3-0 win over Iraq at Philadelphia Stadium, anchoring a back line that barely gave up a breath of space. He finished with seven defensive interventions and a razor-sharp 95% pass accuracy, the kind of controlled performance that quietly strangles any hint of an upset.
Up the pitch, Kylian Mbappe did the damage. He struck first in the 14th minute, a familiar sight: France breaking lines, Mbappe exploding into the box, the net bulging. Then the weather intervened. A storm rolled in, the heavens opened, and an extraordinary two-hour half-time delay followed.
When the players finally re-emerged, France picked up exactly where they had left off. Nine minutes into the restart, Mbappe struck again, his second goal effectively killing the contest. Ousmane Dembele then added a third, the final flourish on a night that tested patience more than France’s defensive resolve.
The result leaves France top of Group I with six points from two games, edging Norway only on goal difference. Saliba’s job is far from done, but the path to the last 32 already looks clear.
Odegaard pulls the strings as Norway edge five-goal thriller
While France controlled the chaos, Norway rode it.
In a breathless 3-2 win over Senegal, Odegaard’s side had to survive a late surge to book their place in the last 32. Norway led at the break thanks to Marcus Pederson, whose first-half strike gave them a slender advantage and a platform to build on.
The real incision came after the interval. Early in the second half, Odegaard found the pass that split Senegal open, threading an incisive through ball into the path of Erling Haaland. One touch, one finish, and Norway were 2-0 up, their captain at the heart of the move.
Senegal refused to fold. Ismaila Sarr dragged them back into the contest, pulling one back and shifting the mood. Haaland responded with another goal, restoring Norway’s cushion, but Sarr struck again to set up a tense finish in a game that never quite settled.
Norway held firm. At the whistle, relief turned to joy as Odegaard and his teammates broke into a Norwegian viking row celebration, a snapshot of a squad that believes this World Cup can be more than just a brief adventure.
England’s stars step up next
Attention now swings to Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, who face Ghana in a 9pm kick-off. Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze all chase back-to-back wins, knowing that on a day when Saliba and Odegaard booked their passage, the standard for European contenders has been set.
