Norway produced one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup by defeating five time champions Brazil 2 1 to secure a place in the quarter finals. Erling Haaland delivered another decisive performance, scoring twice in the closing stages before Neymar converted a late penalty that proved only a consolation.
The victory sends Norway into the last eight, where they will face England in a highly anticipated showdown.
Haaland delivers when it matters most
Norway thought they had taken an early lead through Patrick Berg, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Brazil had a chance to move in front before half time when Bruno Guimarães stepped up from the penalty spot, but he failed to convert.
After the break, Norway gradually gained control and Haaland made the difference. The striker opened the scoring by getting in front of Gabriel to finish a cross from Andreas Schjelderup.
Just minutes later, Haaland struck again with a powerful low effort from outside the penalty area, giving Norway a comfortable advantage late in the match.
Brazil earned another penalty deep into stoppage time, and Neymar successfully converted, but there was not enough time left to complete a comeback.
Historic achievement for Norway
Haaland’s two goals earned him the Player of the Match award and lifted his tournament tally to seven, drawing level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
The 25 year old has now scored seven goals in four World Cup appearances and has found the net in each of Norway’s last 14 competitive matches, producing an impressive 27 goals during that run.
The result also represents a landmark moment for Norwegian football. Before this tournament, Norway had never won a knockout match at the World Cup and had not appeared in the competition since 1998. Eliminating Brazil, one of the most successful teams in football history, marks one of the country’s greatest achievements on the international stage.
Norway will now turn its attention to the quarter final against England as it looks to continue its remarkable World Cup campaign.
