Norway Faces Morocco in Friendly as World Cup Prep Begins

SALADIN, Iraq — NEW YORK — Norway's national team will face Morocco in a friendly match Sunday evening in New Jersey, the first of several preparations ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Norway coach Stale Solbakken described Morocco as a strong test for his squad. He noted that Morocco recently changed coaches and said it remains to be seen how that transition affects their play on the field. Solbakken also pointed to Morocco's disciplined defensive performance in the most recent World Cup tournament. In the 2026 World Cup draw, Morocco landed in a group alongside Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. Norway was drawn into Group 9, where it will face France, Senegal and Iraq. The friendly gives Norway an early opportunity to assess its readiness ahead of what promises to be a challenging group-stage campaign. No further details about additional preparation matches were immediately available.