France and Norway will battle for top spot in Group I of the FIFA World Cup on Friday in a highly anticipated encounter expected to pit two of the tournament’s most prolific scorers, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, against each other.

The two European sides meet at Foxborough, near Boston, with first place in the group at stake. France head into the fixture with a slight advantage, requiring only a draw to finish atop the standings courtesy of a superior goal difference.

Mbappe and Haaland have both enjoyed impressive starts to the competition, scoring four goals each to trail only Lionel Messi, who leads the Golden Boot race with five goals.

France have produced commanding performances in their opening matches, defeating Senegal and Iraq, while Norway have also impressed with victories over Iraq and Senegal to secure qualification for the knockout stage.

Haaland, featuring in his first World Cup, has quickly emerged as one of the tournament’s standout performers. Despite Norway’s strong run, the Manchester City striker played down his country’s title ambitions, describing France as favourites to win the tournament.

France’s preparations, however, have been overshadowed by the temporary absence of head coach Didier Deschamps, who left the team’s camp following the death of his mother. Assistant coach Guy Stephan will oversee the team until Deschamps returns.

A defeat for France could significantly complicate their route through the knockout stages, potentially setting up difficult encounters with Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil, England and Argentina before the final.

Elsewhere on Friday, Spain will seek to secure first place in Group H when they face Uruguay in Guadalajara. Spain need only a draw to finish top, while Uruguay require at least a point to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive after drawing with Cape Verde in their previous outing.

Cape Verde will simultaneously aim to continue their remarkable campaign when they face Saudi Arabia.

In Group G, Egypt take on Iran in Seattle with top spot on the line in a fixture that has attracted attention beyond football after it coincided with Seattle’s city-wide Pride celebrations. Officials from both Iran and Egypt have reportedly objected to the event surrounding the match.

Belgium will also be aiming to book a place in the knockout rounds when Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and their teammates face New Zealand in the other Group G fixture.