Phenomenal statistics were recorded following the group stage of the World Cup in North America. Nine of the ten African representatives advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament. Only the Tunisia team left the World Cup, which had changed its head coach after the first group-stage round and was no longer counting on any rebirth from the ashes. Who would have thought that Africans would perform much better and that, in terms of the knockout round, they would be even more successful than European teams? Côte d'Ivoire became one of the brightest representatives of its continent. Starting their campaign at the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought victory over Ecuador, Nicolas Pépé and his teammates fully came into their own in the match against Germany. They scored first against the four-time world champions, could have extended the lead, but allowed the Germans, through sheer class, to level the score and then snatch the victory in stoppage time of the second half. In the final group round, Côte d'Ivoire beat Curaçao, which allowed them to advance to the knockout stage in second place. The Elephants established themselves as a physically strong, disciplined and fearless collective. Against their first knockout opponent, they will certainly have no trouble keeping their cool. Norway brought to North America its best squad in history. In every line of the pitch the Scandinavian team has leaders who can be noted on the European and even world stage. The group stage was played strikingly and efficiently by the team. Wins against Iraq and Senegal were spectacular and productive. The defeat to France was the result of squad rotation. Ståle Solbakken rested his best players and did not chase the top spot, initially settling for second place. On one hand, the Norwegians had already sampled the African style of play, defeating Senegal 3-2 — a side not much inferior to the Ivory Coast lineup. On the other hand, the lack of playoff experience could shake the Norwegians' confidence if and when something goes wrong. Côte d'Ivoire, on the other hand, is exactly the team that can cause problems. The Africans will not lose to their opponents, at least in regular time.