Norway will host Switzerland in an international friendly as both nations ramp up their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. The match in Oslo will conclude their March international breaks before they turn their focus to the tournament in June.
Norway Look to Bounce Back Before World Cup
Norway head into action in Oslo aiming to make a return to winning ways. They want to round off their pair of March friendlies positively as the 2026 World Cup draws near.
The Landslaget booked their place in this year’s tournament in USA, Mexico and Canada in style. They sealed their return to the global stage for the first time since the 1998 edition, in which they reached the round of 16.
They were one of just two nations to top their group with a perfect record, winning all eight of their matches against Italy, Israel, Estonia and Moldova. They conceded just five goals while scoring 37 – 16 of which came from Erling Haaland who topped the scoring charts of European qualifying.
After ending that campaign late last year with a pair of 4-1 victories, Stale Solbakken’s team kicked off 2026 with a friendly away at Netherlands last week. After leading through Andreas Schjelderup, they were pegged back by a Virgil van Dijk leveller and sent home with a 2-1 defeat as Tijjani Reijnders scored the decisive goal for the hosts early in the second half.
With just Tuesday’s friendly and a June meeting with Sweden between them and the group stage, starting with a clash against Senegal in New Jersey, Norway will aim to bounce back from their first loss since October 2024. They will want to build confidence with a win on home soil on Tuesday.
Switzerland Seek Victory in Oslo
Switzerland are also gearing up for the 2026 World Cup, which will be their sixth consecutive appearance on the global stage. They have qualified from the group stage and exited in the round of 16 in the last three attempts.
The Rossocrociati also guaranteed their spot in the summer’s tournament by topping their first-round group, going unbeaten with four wins and two draws from their six outings. They held second-placed Kosovo off with a draw in the final round of games.
Murat Yakin’s team went into action for the first time this year at home to Germany on Friday and fell just short in an eventful contest. They led twice through Dan Ndoye and Breel Embolo before falling 3-2 down, levelling through Joel Monteiro and eventually losing as Florian Wirtz put the visitors back ahead five minutes from time.
Now with limited opportunities left before the commencement of the World Cup in June, Switzerland will bid to end their opening camp of 2026 with a statement friendly victory away from home.
Both teams will conclude their March international breaks in the Norwegian capital before turning their focus to the tournament beginning in June.