Group I · Matchday 2

SenegalvsNorway

2026-06-22·20:00 localPredictions finalised

Snapshot · 2026-07-14Model 1.0.0Final prediction · locked 22 Jun, 21:30 UTCSenegal·Norway·Head-to-head →·
Full time · forecast gradedSenegal 2 3 NorwayThe locked pre-match forecast has been graded against this result.See the calibration recap →

The forecast

Match-outcome probability

  • Senegal win
    32.3%
  • Draw
    28.8%
  • Norway win
    39.0%

A clash of identities: Senegal's transition-heavy approach meets Norway's balanced style in a fixture the model gives to Norway at 43%.

Rank checkFIFA ranks Norway #29 in the world; the model ranks them #16 in this tournament field, 13 places higher than the FIFA list suggests. All 48 compared →
Likeliest score1–113.9%
First goal0-15'32.5%
Both teams score48.8%
Over 2.5 goals42.0%
Top scorerHaaland10.9%
Expected goals1.2 - 1.2
Loading pitch visualisation...

Why the model says this

Favoring Senegal

  • ·Senegal holds a higher FIFA ranking at 19th, compared to Norway's 29th.
  • ·Senegal has won 5 of their last 6 matches, demonstrating strong recent form.
  • ·In the only prior head-to-head encounter, Senegal secured a 2-1 victory, though this fixture dates back to 2006.

Favoring Norway

  • ·The Elo model component assigns Norway a 43.9% win probability, significantly higher than Senegal's 34.1%.
  • ·Norway's expected goals (1.16) are higher than Senegal's (1.03) for this fixture.
  • ·The HP model component also favours Norway, giving them a 40.8% win probability against Senegal's 29.9%.
  • ·Norway has secured 3 wins and 2 draws in their last 6 matches, including two 4-1 victories in World Cup qualifiers.

What the model can't fully price

  • ·One projected starter across both squads is carrying a fitness doubt, a factor not currently incorporated into the model's probability calculation.

Form check

Senegal

Improving

Senegal enters this match in strong form, having won 5 of their last 6 fixtures. Their recent victories include two friendlies (3-1, 2-0) and three African Cup of Nations matches, with their only loss being a 0-3 defeat in the African Cup of Nations.

5 wins in last 6 matches

Norway

Steady

Norway's recent form shows a mixed bag with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last 6 outings. They recorded significant 4-1 victories in World Cup qualifiers but also a 0-0 draw and a 1-2 loss in recent friendlies.

3 wins and 2 draws in last 6 matches

Analysis

How it plays out

Norway's balanced setup will need to hold shape against Senegal's direct transition game. The risk for Norway: getting caught between attacking and defending. Norway will expect to hold 56% possession. Senegal need their shape to stay compact without the ball and be clinical when they win it back.

What decides it

Senegal will concede possession willingly and attack in transition. Their defensive block needs to hold without fouling in dangerous areas. Erling Haaland's 10.9% scoring probability is the highest in this fixture. Containing that output is Senegal's primary defensive task.

Off the pitch

Ståle Solbakken (6 years in charge of Norway) vs Pape Thiaw (2 years). That tenure gap shows up in squad familiarity and set-piece coordination.

The angle

Likely the last World Cup for Idrissa Gueye. Tournament experience at this level is hard to quantify but hard to replace.

Goals & scorelines

Likeliest score 1–1 (13.9%) · xG 1.2 - 1.2

Expected goals

Senegal
1.15
Norway
1.21

Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.

Most likely scorelines

  • 1–1
    13.9%
  • 0–1
    10.6%
  • 0–0
    10.3%
  • 1–0
    10.1%
  • 1–2
    7.9%

From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.

Most likely half-time scorelines

  • 0–0
    31.4%
  • 0–1
    17.9%
  • 1–0
    17.1%
  • 1–1
    11.3%
  • 0–2
    5.6%

Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.

Goal totals

  • More than 0.5 goals
    89.8%
  • More than 1.5 goals
    69.1%
  • More than 2.5 goals
    42.0%
  • More than 3.5 goals
    21.3%
  • More than 4.5 goals
    9.1%
  • More than 5.5 goals
    3.3%
  • Both teams score
    48.8%

Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.

Event-typed probabilities

  • Senegal clean sheetOpposing team scores zero29.9%
  • Norway clean sheetOpposing team scores zero31.6%

Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.

Win-margin probability

  • Senegal by 4+
    1.2%
  • Senegal by 3+
    4.5%
  • Senegal by 2+
    14.3%
  • Senegal by 1+
    33.9%
  • Draw
    29.5%
  • Norway by 1+
    36.5%
  • Norway by 2+
    16.0%
  • Norway by 3+
    5.3%
  • Norway by 4+
    1.4%

Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.

How the match unfolds

Over 2.5 goals 42.0% · BTTS 48.8%

Game state through the match

0%25%50%75%100%0'15'30'45'60'75'90'
  • Senegal ahead34.7%
  • Level27.9%
  • Norway ahead37.3%

Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.

When the first goal arrives

  • 0–15
    32.5%
  • 15–30
    21.9%
  • 30–45
    14.8%
  • 45–60
    10.0%
  • 60–75
    6.7%
  • 75–90
    4.5%
  • No goal
    9.4%

Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.

Half-time / full-time grid

Joint probability of half-time and full-time results
HT ↓ / FT →HSenegal winDDrawANorway win
HSenegal ahead20.8%4.8%1.7%
DLevel12.2%18.5%13.0%
ANorway ahead1.6%4.8%22.6%

Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.

Comeback probability

  • Senegal trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    6.4%
  • Norway trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    6.5%

Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.

Cards

  • Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
  • Total yellows over 2.567.0%
  • Total yellows over 3.545.3%
  • Total yellows over 4.526.5%
  • Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%

Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.

Teams & players

Top scorer: Haaland (10.9%)

Match detail

Senegal

Model-rated key players: Bamba Dieng (FW) — P(scores) 3.4%; Nicolas Jackson (FW) — P(scores) 3.2%; Boulaye Dia (FW) — P(scores) 4.7%.

How they play

Senegal under Pape Thiaw play a transition heavy game with 47% possession. Their likely shape is a 4-2-3-1, though they have also used 4-3-3. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 21.2) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.3 passes per attack.

What they must execute

Senegal rely on defensive discipline and quick transitions — absorbing pressure and converting turnovers into attacking chances. Concentration and defensive organisation for full 90-minute stretches will determine whether the approach holds against top opposition. Managing minutes for Idrissa Gueye across what could be seven matches will test the coaching staff's rotation planning.

Storylines
Teen starter: wp-bara-sapoko-ndiaye-2007-12-3118 at kickoff — 0 caps — projected on the bench, the squad's youngest pick.
Last dance: Idrissa Gueye36 at kickoff with 130 caps — probably his final World Cup.
Form trend: Gained 56 international Elo points over the last 12 months — current rating 1928.

Norway

Model-rated key players: Erling Haaland (FW) — P(scores) 10.9%; Alexander Sørloth (FW) — P(scores) 3.8%; Erling Braut Haaland (FW) — P(scores) 2.0%.

How they play

Limited recent tournament data is available for Norway's tactical profile. Early indicators suggest a balanced approach.

What they must execute

Norway will need to leverage their strengths while managing the physical demands of a tournament spread across three host countries.

Storylines
Form trend: Gained 88 international Elo points over the last 12 months — current rating 1964.
Scoring form: Averaged 3.36 xG per match across 8 recent internationals — #1 of 35 in the field for attacking output.
Top scorer: Alexander SørlothModel's top anytime-scorer for the team — 35% probability of scoring at least once, rank #1 of all players.
Workload going in

Senegal's predicted XI averages 1,712 club minutes over the 2024-25 season (light load).

Senegal coverage: 73.0% (10/11 XI matched against the FBref Big-5) · Norway: 46.0% (7/11).

Set-piece outlook

Senegal historically converts 8.1% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.09 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Norway converts 13.6% from set-pieces (0.16 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.26 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.

  • P(Senegal scores set-piece goal) 8.9%
  • P(Norway scores set-piece goal) 15.1%
  • P(set-piece goal in match) 22.7%

Senegal: Pape Matar Sarr on corners (7 corners) (per fbref 2021 22) · Norway: Martin Ødegaard on free kicks (per fbref 2022 23)

Penalty outlook

If a penalty is awarded to Senegal, the model gives 72.5% conversion, 72.0% for Norway.

Senegal primary PK: Boulaye Dia (5/5 in 2020-21, per fbref 2021 22) · Norway primary PK: Erling Haaland (2/2 in 2022-23, per fbref 2022 23).

Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.

Tactical forecast

Senegaltransition-heavy
PPDA
21.2
Possession
47%
Directness (yds/pass)
7.3
Long balls/90
43
Set-piece xG
8%
Norwaybalanced

Partial coverage from FotMob match stats (recent qualifiers and friendlies): possession and shot volume only. Press and build-up metrics are not available for this side.

PPDA
Possession
56%
Directness (yds/pass)
Long balls/90
Set-piece xG
14%

Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.

Squad depth

Most irreplaceable starters

Senegal

  1. Sadio ManéWingerCover: Ibrahim Mbaye · 0.440.38gap
  2. Nicolas JacksonStrikerCover: Cherif Ndiaye · 0.520.34gap
  3. Édouard MendyGoalkeeperCover: Yehvann Diouf · 0.490.29gap

Norway

  1. Erling HaalandStrikerNo natural backup0.75gap
  2. Alexander SørlothStrikerNo natural backup0.62gap
  3. Martin ØdegaardAttacking midfieldCover: Thelo Aasgaard · 0.310.51gap

Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →

Match conditions

  • AltitudeNear sea level7 m
  • Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window23.8 °C
  • Avg humidity71%
  • Heat stressShade WBGT ~25.7 °CLow heat stress
  • Pitch surfacetemporary natural grass over artificial turf

Artificial-turf NFL stadium; a temporary hybrid natural-grass pitch is being installed over the turf for the tournament, including the final.

Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.

Top scorers · P(scores in this match)

Senegal
Norway

Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.

Recent match form

Last match player ratings

Senegal

vs Belgium · avg 6.2

8
Ismaïla SarrRW
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Habib DialloST
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Sadio ManéST
ATK
DEF
PAS
3
El Hadji Malick DioufLB
ATK
DEF
PAS

Norway

vs Ivory Coast · avg 7.4

8
Erling HaalandST
ATK
DEF
PAS
8
Norway GoalkeeperGK
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Torbjørn Heggem
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Martin ØdegaardAM
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Oscar Bobb
ATK
DEF
PAS

Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →

Video analysis: player performance

Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.

Senegal
8
Aymen Hussein21'–57'

Scored a crucial equalizer and showed good attacking presence throughout the match.

1goals1shots1on target

Match timeline

21'Aymen Hussein equalizes for Iraq with a powerful header from a cross by Al-Amari.
57'Aymen Hussein's shot is saved by the Norwegian goalkeeper.
8
Bounou142'–516'

Made numerous crucial saves to keep his team in the match despite conceding four goals.

5saves

Match timeline

142'Morocco attack, shot saved by the goalkeeper (Bounou).
234'Norway attack, shot saved by the goalkeeper (Bounou).
326'Norway attack, shot saved by the goalkeeper (Bounou).
339'Norway attack, shot saved by the goalkeeper (Bounou).
516'Norway attack, shot saved by the goalkeeper (Bounou).
6
Al-Hammadi47'–47'

Showed attacking intent with a strong run but lacked clinical finishing on a key chance.

1shots

Match timeline

47'Al-Hammadi makes a strong run into the box but shoots wide of the goal.
6
Hussein Ali64'–64'

Had an attempt on goal that was saved, showing some attacking involvement.

1shots1on target

Match timeline

64'Hussein Ali's shot is saved by the Norwegian goalkeeper after a cross from Al-Amari.
4
Ezzalzouli637'–637'

Involved in attacking moves but received a yellow card and had a shot wide.

1shots1 yellow

Match timeline

637'Yellow card issued to Morocco's #17 (Ezzalzouli) for a foul.
4
Morocco's #3

Committed multiple fouls, indicating defensive struggles against Norway's attackers.

Norway
9
Erling Haaland9'–80'

Scored two clinical goals, showcasing his predatory instincts and leading the attack effectively.

2goals1shots1on target

Match timeline

9'Erling Haaland scores Norway's first goal with a close-range finish after a pass from Møller Dæhli.
32'Erling Haaland scores his second goal, capitalizing on a short pass from the goalkeeper and slotting it into an open net.
80'Erling Haaland's shot is saved by the Iraq goalkeeper, denying him a hat-trick.
8
Leo Østigård78'–78'

Scored a goal from a set-piece, contributing significantly to the scoreline from defense.

1goals

Match timeline

78'Leo Østigård scores Norway's third goal with a header from a corner kick.
7
Møller Dæhli

Provided a crucial assist for the opening goal, demonstrating good vision and passing.

7
Oscar Bobb71'–71'

Had a good shot on goal that was saved and contributed to Norway's attacking pressure.

1shots1on target

Match timeline

71'Oscar Bobb's shot is saved by the Iraq goalkeeper following a build-up involving Ødegaard.
7
Antonio Nusa225'–225'

Showed good movement and ball control, drawing a foul in a dangerous area.

1fouls won

Match timeline

225'Foul committed by Morocco's #10 (Brahim Diaz) on Norway's #20 (Nusa).
6
Diop

Drew a foul in midfield, contributing to possession and relieving pressure.

Match observations

  • The match was a competitive affair with both teams creating numerous chances.
  • Norway showed resilience in their attacking efforts, particularly in the second half, while Morocco relied on quick transitions and individual skill.
  • The game featured a lot of end-to-end action, with goalkeepers on both sides being tested.

Under the hood

Model-by-model comparison

Senegal vs Norway

High disagreement (16.5%)
ModelWeightHomeDrawAway
EloRating-based strength estimate32%
24.6%
22.0%
53.4%
Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction63%
33.7%
29.4%
36.9%
Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling6%
31.9%
28.2%
39.9%
Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination
30.2%
28.5%
41.3%
Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration
30.8%
26.0%
43.2%
Home spread: 9.1%
Draw spread: 7.4%
Away spread: 16.5%
How each model works
Elo
Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
Dixon-Coles
A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
Hierarchical Poisson
A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
Bayesian stacking
Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
Ensemble (published)
Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.

Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology

Probability decomposition (transparency surface)

  • Baseline ensemble — P(Senegal win)36.1%
  • + Lineup contribution0.0pp
  • + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
  • Published P(Senegal win)36.1%
Senegal
36.1%
Draw
27.5%
Norway
36.4%

Decomposition of the published P(Senegal win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.

For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.

Head-to-head history

DateCompetitionVenueScoreResultxG
22 Jun 2026FIFA World CupNEast Rutherford23L
1 Mar 2006FriendlyHDakar21W

Senegal vs Norway, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Senegal's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).

Latest news & match context

Match conditions
Stage:
Group I · Matchday 2
Date:
22 Jun
Availability

Senegal

Senegal come in at close to full strength.

Norway

Norway come in at close to full strength.

What it means

Senegal and Norway both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.

Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.

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