Both Portugal and Norway have successfully secured their places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Both teams won their respective qualification groups in the final round of matches, securing automatic entry into the tournament.
The World Cup will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Portugal: A Goal-Fest to Secure Qualification Norway
Portugal guaranteed their spot by winning Group F in the European qualifiers. Their last match was a dominant performance.
The Decisive Win
Portugal faced Armenia in their final Group F match on November 16, 2025.
- Final Score: Portugal won with a huge score of 9-1.
- Star Scorers: The victory has secured by hat-tricks from two different players: Bruno Fernandes and João Neves. This showed the great depth of the Portuguese team.
- Result: This victory guaranteed Portugal finished top of Group F. They will appear in their seventh World Cup in a row.
The Ronaldo Question
Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo did not play in the final match. He was serving a one-game red card suspension from an earlier match against Ireland.
The main question now is about his suspension carry-over. FIFA may extend his suspension for the violent conduct that caused the red card. If the ban is longer than one game, he could miss the start of the 2026 World Cup tournament itself. Assuming he stays fit, Ronaldo will still have the chance to appear in a record sixth World Cup.
Norway: Ending a 28-Year Wait Norway
Norway achieved a historic qualification. They finished their Group I campaign with a perfect record. They had eight wins in eight games. This marked their first time qualifying for the World Cup since 1998—ending a 28-year wait.
The Decisive Win
Norway played four-time World Cup winners Italy in their final match in Milan.
- Final Score: Norway won the match 4-1 against Italy.
- Star Player: Erling Haaland was the hero of the whole campaign. He scored 16 goals in the eight qualifying matches. In the final match against Italy, he scored two goals in the second half, securing the win.
- Result: Norway finished as the Group I winners. Italy, because of this loss, must now go through the difficult play-offs for the third World Cup in a row.
How to Watch the Teams in 2026 Norway
Both Portugal and Norway have now confirmed for the biggest stage in football. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
How to Watch in the U.S.
In the United States, the matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup would broadcast by FOX (English language) and Telemundo (Spanish language). You can watch the games on FOX, FS1, the FOX Sports App, and FOXSports.com.
How to Watch in Europe
In Europe, the broadcasting rights have split among different partners, but typically include:
- UK: BBC and ITV
- Norway: NRK and TV 2
- Portugal: RTP Portugal and Sport TV Portugal
The specific channel for each game would announced closer to the tournament draw in December 2025.
Key Watch Factors Norway
- Portugal’s Outlook: Portugal enters the World Cup as a highly seeded team. The key thing to watch will be the integration of young talent like João Neves with veteran leadership, and how the team performs under the immense pressure of Ronaldo’s Final World Cup.
- Norway’s Outlook: This team has seen as a new “golden generation.” All eyes will be on Erling Haaland, who proved he has a goal machine throughout the qualifying campaign. Norway will be full of confidence and seen as a dark horse team in the tournament.
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