Norway has advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, thanks to Erling Haaland’s remarkable performance. The striker, known for his captivating smile and unique cowboy attire, netted two goals in the final 11 minutes, marking his sixth and seventh goals of the tournament, and sending Brazil home.
This victory serves as a significant endorsement for coach Ståle Solbakken and the squad he has meticulously crafted over the past five years. Norway aimed to assert their dominance over Brazil in the first half but struggled initially. A tactical shift at halftime, involving two substitutions, allowed Norway to effectively exploit counterattacks, ultimately overcoming a Brazilian team that squandered several scoring opportunities.
Haaland’s prowess was evident as he converted two of his four shots during the match. He opened the scoring with just 11 minutes remaining, rising above Gabriel Magalhães to head in a cross from substitute winger Andreas Schjelderup. As the match entered stoppage time, Haaland struck again, receiving a pass from Schjelderup on the edge of the Brazilian penalty area and slotting it home. His celebration was understated, characterized by a broad smile, as his teammates and the enthusiastic Norwegian supporters cheered.
This match had an intriguing backdrop, with Norway coming off their first World Cup knockout win and Brazil still refining their lineup. Coach Carlo Ancelotti made adjustments by bringing Gabriel Martinelli into the starting XI, replacing the injured Lucas Paquetá, allowing Martinelli to assume a central midfield role.
Norway quickly put their stamp on the game, finding the net within three minutes. A swift pass from the halfway line reached Martin Ødegaard, who maneuvered to create space just outside the box. With Julian Ryerson racing down the wing, Ødegaard delayed before delivering a precise ball that sent Ryerson past Douglas Santos.
Ryerson squared the ball, presenting four options to score, with Patrick Berg eventually driving it into the roof of the net. However, the celebration was short-lived as the flag was raised for offside.
Brazil benefited from a similar situation 10 minutes later. A quick counterattack led to Bruno Guimarães receiving the ball in the Norwegian half. He set up Martinelli, who passed to Matheus Cunha on the edge of the box. As Cunha aimed to shoot, Kristoffer Ajer intervened but failed to make contact, resulting in a foul. Initially, referee Ismail Elfath waved play on, but the video assistant referee recommended a review, leading Elfath to award a penalty.
While the expectation in the ground was that this would be a moment for Vinícius Júnior, Guimarães stepped up instead. Newcastle’s captain usually cedes spot-kicks to Anthony Gordon at club level and here he decided to employ a stuttering run-up before his kick. The idea was to trigger Ørjan Nyland to dive early, which he did, but to the correct side, his left, where he turned Guimarães’ effort wide to raucous cheers.
These pivotal moments could have drastically altered the game’s trajectory. Instead, the first half settled into a rhythm dominated by Norwegian possession, while Brazil focused on counterattacks. Both teams had chances to score again, with Vinícius and Martinelli forcing saves from Nyland, and Ødegaard creating chaos in the penalty area to test Alisson just before the break. Meanwhile, Haaland remained mostly uninvolved.
Brazil’s increased possession allowed Norway to capitalize on counterattacks. Alisson had to fend off two promising crosses from the left flank, nearly setting up Haaland for a goal. Moments later, Haaland showcased his strength, holding off two Brazilian defenders as Schjelderup missed an opportunity to score.
Brazil made further adjustments, introducing Neymar, while Guimarães, who had been influential despite the missed penalty, was substituted with just 11 minutes remaining. The crowd, predominantly supporting Brazil, anticipated a moment from Neymar, who once was hailed as a defining talent of his generation. He did score a penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time, but it arrived too late to change the outcome, as Haaland’s earlier heroics had already sealed the match.
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