Norway kick-start their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with a trip to the Zimbru Stadium to face Moldova in their opening Group I fixture on Saturday evening.
Both nations are joined in Group I by Israel, Estonia and the loser of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie between Germany and Italy.
Match preview
Moldova may be regarded as one of the minnows of European football - ranked 151st in the world by FIFA - but they enjoyed a successful 2024 campaign by their standards under the tutelage of Serghei Clescenco.
The Tricolours won six, drew two and lost just two of their 10 internationals last year, with three of those victories helping them secure top spot and promotion from League D Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League ahead of Malta and Andorra.
Moldova are now hoping to transfer their 2024 form into 2025 as they attempt to qualify for their first-ever major tournament and avoid a third consecutive World Cup qualification campaign in which they finish rock bottom of their group.
Clescenco's men will welcome a return to home soil where they have won each of their last three matches without reply, but they have never beaten Norway in five attempts - the closest that they can was back in March 2005 when they played out a 0-0 home draw in World Cup qualifying.
Norway did not get off to the best of starts in 2024, as they only won one friendly out of four across the first six months - a 3-0 success over Kosovo - while they also had to watch Euro 2024 from home over the summer after they failed to qualify for the tournament for the sixth time in a row.
However, the Lions ended the year on a high by accumulating 13 points from a possible 18 available (W4 D1 L1) in the UEFA Nations League to finish top of League B Group 3 and secure promotion to the top tier.
A heavy 5-1 defeat away against Austria was the only real blot on their copybook and they responded to that by winning their final two group fixtures in November against Slovenia and Kazakhstan by an aggregate score of 9-1, with Erling Haaland scoring four of those goals.
Ranked 43rd in the world by FIFA, Norway are now focused on making a strong start to their World Cup qualification campaign as they endeavour to secure their spot at the 2026 tournament, almost three decades on from their last World Cup appearance back in 1998.
Stale Solbakken's side head into Saturday's contest having won each of their last four meetings with Moldova, scoring six goals and conceding just one in the process, but their away record leaves little to be desired as they have come out on top in only two of their last eight games on the road (D3 L3), conceding three or more goals on four occasions.
Team News
Ion Nicolaescu has only scored five goals in 17 Eredivisie fixtures for Heerenveen this season, but he is Moldova's all-time record goalscorer (16) and is expected to earn his 50th international cap this weekend.
Versatile player Sergiu Platica is another poised to make his 50th appearance for Moldova and could operate either at centre-back or on the left side of a back five, while Vadim Rata, Mihail Caimacov and Nichita Motpan are all in contention to play in midfield.
As for Norway, Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen and Genoa midfielder Morten Thorsby have both withdrawn from the squad through injury, the former of whom has fractured a bone in his hand.
Martin Odegaard is back in the national team squad after missing their last four Nations League games towards the end of last year due to injury, and the Arsenal playmaker is expected to captain Norway in centre-midfield, potentially alongside Sander Berge and Patrick Berg.
Erling Haaland is Norway's all-time top scorer with a remarkable 38 goals in 39 games and the Manchester City striker is poised to lead the line on Saturday, with 21-goal Alexander Sorloth set to provide support in attack.
Moldova possible starting lineup:
Celeadnic; Revenco, Craciun, Baboglo, Mudrac, Platica; Caimacov, Rata, Motpan; Postolachi, Nicolaescu
Norway possible starting lineup:
Selvik; Pedersen, Ajer, Ostigard, Ryerson; Berg, Berge, Odegaard; Hauge, Haaland, Sorloth
We say: Moldova 0-3 Norway
Both nations will enter Saturday's contest in high spirits considering how they ended 2024, but it is Norway who will be regarded as firm favourites to come out on top.
Moldova have somewhat frustrated Norway at times in the past, but that was before the emergence of Norwegian stars including Haaland, who the hosts may have difficulty stopping this time around if he is firing on all cylinders.
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