The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has officially announced a prestigious friendly match between Norway national football team and Morocco national football team, scheduled for June 7, 2026, at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey, United States.
Kick-off is set for 3:00 PM local time (8:00 PM in Morocco). This clash will see Erling Haaland’s Norway take on the Atlas Lions led by Achraf Hakimi, just before the start of the 2026 World Cup. For the Norwegians, drawn in a tough group alongside France national football team, Senegal national football team, and Iraq national football team, this test against a strong African side like Morocco will be crucial to fine-tune their tactics.
This Norway vs Morocco 2026 clash also revives historic memories, notably their dramatic 2-2 draw at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Mustapha Hadji opened the scoring for Morocco (37’), followed by an own goal from Youssef Chippo (45+1’). Norway equalized through Dan Eggen (61’) after Abdeljalil Hadda had restored Morocco’s lead (59’). Twenty-eight years later, current stars Haaland and Hakimi promise another electrifying encounter—especially as the Manchester City striker has often praised the PSG full-back as one of Africa’s best players.
Haaland has not held back in his admiration for Hakimi, calling him an “excellent player” alongside stars like Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mané in recent interviews. This mutual respect between the two stars adds extra spice to this friendly, making it an ideal preparation match for both teams ahead of the World Cup.
Morocco, who reached the quarter-finals in 2022, will look to confirm their rise against a motivated Norwegian side.
With the Haaland vs Hakimi 2026 duel at the center of attention, this showdown in New Jersey is already attracting strong interest from international football fans. A perfect opportunity for Moroccan and Norwegian supporters to build excitement ahead of the global tournament, in a stadium ready to host a high-level European-African clash.