Norway

Norway fans watch the 2026 World Cup from Oslo (CEST, UTC+2 in June). Their Group I matches kick off at midnight, 02:00, and 21:00 local time, with two overnight sacrifices before the prime-time appointment that matters most.

What the schedule means for Norwegian fans

Central European Summer Time sits 6 hours ahead of Eastern Time in June. The Boston and New York venues translate afternoon and early-evening US kickoffs into late night and early morning in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.

Group I local kickoff times in Oslo

• June 16: vs Iraq at Boston. 00:00 June 17 (Oslo)
• June 22: vs Senegal at New York. 02:00 June 23 (Oslo)
• June 26: vs France at Boston. 21:00 (Oslo)

The summer night and the real match

Norway last appeared at a World Cup in France 1998, when they defeated Brazil 2-1 in the group stage. Tore André Flo and Kjetil Rekdal (penalty) scored the goals. Twenty-eight years later, the country returns with Erling Haaland, the most decorated striker of his generation, playing his first World Cup at 25.

The Iraq opener at midnight and the Senegal match at 02:00 land in the brief window that passes for Norwegian darkness in midsummer. June in Oslo means the sun disappears around 23:00 and returns before 04:00. Bars that would normally close at midnight will apply for extended licenses. Norwegian sports bars have precedent for this: Oslo’s football pubs stayed open past 02:00 for Champions League nights when Haaland was scoring hat-tricks for Manchester City.

The France match at 21:00 on June 26 is the one Norway circled. A prime weekday evening kickoff for a potential group decider. French-facing odds will mean nothing to a country watching its most famous athlete in his first World Cup match against genuine tournament favorites. By 21:00 in June, Oslo is warm and still light. Every bar in Aker Brygge will be full an hour before kickoff.

Norwegian-Americans in Minnesota and Wisconsin watch all three matches at afternoon and early-evening Eastern hours, an almost unfair advantage over the home crowd.

Check Norway time for live conversions throughout the tournament. For full match previews and analysis, see whensport.com.