Saliba and Odegaard Lead France and Norway to Knockouts

William Saliba and Martin Odegaard are both safely through to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, each playing their part in very different but equally charged group wins on Monday.

Saliba shines as Mbappe storms Iraq

In Philadelphia, the rain came down in sheets and refused to let up. It didn’t bother France. It certainly didn’t bother William Saliba.

The defender played the full 90 minutes of a 3-0 win over Iraq at Philadelphia Stadium, turning in the sort of composed, economical performance that has become his trademark. Seven defensive interventions, barely a foot wrong, and a pass accuracy of 95% told the story of a centre-back in complete control of his area, even as the weather tried to turn the game into chaos.

Up the pitch, Kylian Mbappe did what Kylian Mbappe does. He struck first in the 14th minute, a clinical finish that settled any early nerves and underlined the gulf in quality. Then the skies intervened.

A two-hour half-time delay, driven by the storm overhead, might have broken the rhythm of a lesser side. When the players finally emerged again, France simply picked up where they had left off. Nine minutes into the restarted second half, Mbappe grabbed his second, lightning on the counter to match the lightning in the sky.

Ousmane Dembele added the third, wrapping up a victory that felt as routine as the conditions were wild. With two wins from two, France sit top of Group I on six points, edging Norway only on goal difference.

Odegaard feeds Haaland as Norway edge five-goal thriller

While Saliba was keeping things calm at the back, Martin Odegaard was orchestrating something far more frantic.

Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal swung one way, then the other, but always seemed to run through the boots of their captain. Marcus Pederson opened the scoring, giving Norway a 1-0 lead at the break and a platform to build on.

Then came the moment that will make the highlight reels. Early in the second half, Odegaard sliced Senegal open with an incisive through ball, the kind of pass that seems to pause time for everyone except the striker on the end of it. Erling Haaland did the rest for 2-0, the finish as inevitable as the pass was inventive.

Senegal refused to fold. Ismaila Sarr pulled one back to drag them into the contest, and suddenly the game crackled with tension. Haaland struck again. So did Sarr. A five-goal contest, both sides trading punches, but it was Norway who held their nerve to secure the points and a place in the last 32.

At full-time, Odegaard and his teammates marked the moment with a Norwegian viking row celebration, a release of emotion that matched the scale of the occasion. Group I now has a clear top two: France and Norway, level on points, separated only by the finest of margins.

England’s stars eye their own statement

Attention now turns to Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, who face Ghana in a 9pm kick-off as they chase back-to-back wins.

Declan Rice will anchor the midfield, with Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze all pushing to make their mark again on a tournament already crackling with storylines.

Saliba and Odegaard have booked their passage. Tonight, England’s core will try to match that stride and keep their own World Cup journey firmly on track.