The best performing team in the group stages, Japan, will look to continue their strong form in the Round of 16 when they take on Norway in Wellington.
Japan won all three of their matches in Group C, most notably a 4-0 win over Spain in the final match of the group that saw them score three goals in the first half despite Spain having 77% of the ball; Japan were the only team to win all three of their matches in the group stages without conceding a goal.
Norway meanwhile were involved in one of the early shocks of the tournament when they were stunned in a 1-0 defeat to co-hosts New Zealand on opening night of the tournament, which was their first ever win at the tournament.
They still looked shaky in their 0-0 draw against Switzerland and had their backs to the wall, but they managed to destroy the Philippines 6-0 in their final match, meaning they progressed over New Zealand on goal difference.
MORE: Which team is favourite to win the World Cup?
Japan vs Norway TV channel, live stream
The Japan vs Norway Round of 16 clash will be broadcast in regions around the world live, with both television and streaming options available.
Fans in select regions of the world can stream the Women's World Cup live on FIFA+, including in Japan, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand.
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | FOX Sports 1, Telemundo (Spanish) | Fubo, Fox Sports site/app, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (Spanish) |
| UK | ITV1 | ITVX |
| Australia | Channel 7, 7Mate | Optus Sport, 7Plus |
| Canada | TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS | TSN+, RDS site/app |
| India | Star Sports Select 1 | FanCode, JioTV, Hotstar VIP |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 2 NZ | Sky Sport NOW, Prime TV |
| Singapore | FIFA WWC CH01 | meWATCH |
| Hong Kong | Now Sports Prime | Now Player |
| Malaysia | — | FIFA+ |
MORE: All the key details for the Round of 16
What time is Japan vs Norway?
Japan's Round of 16 clash against Norway will begin at 8:00 p.m. local time, at Wellington Regional Stadium.
- Date: Saturday, August 5
- Time: 8:00 p.m. NZT (4:00 a.m. ET)
Here is the kick off time in regions and territories around the world:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sat, August 5 | 4:00 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sat, August 5 | 4:00 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sat, August 5 | 9:00 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sat, August 5 | 6:00 p.m. AEST |
| India | Sat, August 5 | 1:30 p.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Sat, August 5 | 4:00 p.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Sat, August 5 | 4:00 p.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Sat, August 5 | 4:00 p.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Sat, August 5 | 8:00 p.m. NZT |
Japan vs Norway lineups, team news
What makes Japan's performances more impressive is the fact they have managed to rotate their team more than other sides, meaning their top players will be fresher for the knockout games.
The likes of Mina Tanaka, Riko Ueki and Yui Hasegawa have all had matches where they have started on the bench, though that hasn't stunted the performances of the team or the player individually, with Tanaka having three goals so far in the tournament, and Ueki scoring against Spain in the final match of the group stages.
Goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and captain Saki Kumagai have been a couple of the consistent starters in the Japan side throughout the group stages, and are highly likely to start once again in Wellington.
Japan have lined up with a back three at every match of the tournament so far, using a 3-4-2-1 in their first two matches, before switching to a 3-4-3 against Spain.
- Japan projected starting lineup (3-4-3): Yamashita (GK) — Minami, Kumagai, Takahashi — Shimzu, Hasegawa, Nagano, Endo — Miyazawa, Tanaka, Naomoto
Despite Norway's eventual qualification thanks to their big last round win, it has been far from smooth sailing in terms of team selection.
Star attackers Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen have missed matches for different reasons, with Hegerberg being injured moments before kick off against Switzerland which saw her miss the last two matches of the group, whilst Hansen was controversially dropped to the bench for the team's second match, leading to her criticising her treatment by coach Hege Riise; she later apologised for the outburst and was restored to the side for the Philippines match, scoring a goal.
Vilde Boe Risa did not start the opening match in midfield, but was introduced against Switzerland, and impressed enough to keep her spot in the side; expect her to line up alongside Frida Maanum and Guro Reiten as they look to win the midfield battle against a talented and hard working Japan side.
- Norway projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Mikalsen (GK) — Bjelde, Mjelde, Harviken, Hansen — Maanum, Risa, Reiten — C. Hansen, Haug, Haavi
Japan vs Norway betting odds
This match is one occasion where the form guide doesn't lie, with bookmakers predicting Japan should be able to deal with the threat posed by Norway.
It is viewed as a low scoring affair, given Japan's defensive record and Norway's attacking struggles bar their match with the Philippines, though Norway have also been strong defensively, only conceding one goal at the tournament so far.
| Japan win (90 mins) |
Draw (90 mins) | Norway win (90 mins) |
Both teams to score Y / N |
Over / Under 2.5 goals |
Japan advance | Norway advance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) |
-122 | +250 | +320 | -102 / -137 | +105 / -147 | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) |
-137 | +245 | +340 | -105 / -147 | +109 / -152 | -270 | +185 |
| SkyBet (UK) |
4/6 | 5/2 | 4/1 | 1/1, 8/11 | 11/10, 4/6 | 1/3 | 9/4 |
| Unibet (Australia) |
1.80 | 3.55 | 4.60 | 1.97 / 1.80 | 2.10 / 1.71 | 1.33 | 3.25 |
| Dafabet (India) |
1.72 | 3.25 | 4.33 | 1.93 / 1.77 | 2.07 / 1.67 | 1.37 | 2.85 |
Odds updated as of August 4