Read 4 minutesNew Delhi1 July 2026 01:11 AM IST
It has been 28 years since Norway last played a match FIFA World Cup A knockout game, but the wait was worth it for the Nordic nation when they beat a valiant Ivory Coast 2-1 with a late goal from Erling Haaland.
The match looked to be heading for extra-time as the Manchester City phenom found the net with a rather dubious finish past Patrick Berg’s square pass past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
Antonio Nusa had put the Scandinavians on their way with a superb curling strike in the first half, before Amad Diallo put the Cats in the pigeons with an equally eye-catching equalizer with a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining.
Silence reigned in Dallas for 37 minutes. Perhaps unexpectedly, given Norway’s reputation as the most prolific attacking force in the tournament. Stäle Solbakken’s side scored 37 goals in eight qualifying matches before adding another eight in the group stage. Haaland scored 20 of those 45 goals, leading the way for the team and taking just 43 minutes to become his country’s leading goal-scorer at the World Cup.
However, what was overlooked in the Round of 32 match was Ivory Coast’s defensive prowess. Immerse Fey’s side have not scored a single goal in 10 qualifying matches and have shown little inclination to surrender that record at Vikram. The plan seemed to be working. Haaland had just one touch in the first 20 minutes and Norway had only half a try in the first 37 minutes.
Norway’s Erling Haaland (9) poses after the World Cup Round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, near Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
That was until Nusa took matters into her own hands. Three orange shirts marked the winger when he received a pass from the right flank from captain Martin Odegaard. The goal came three seconds later in a sequence of events: sending Nicolas Pepe the wrong way with a magician’s trick, opening his body with the flexibility of a gymnast and curling a shot between Frank Casey and Fofana with archer precision.
With their fortress breached, Ivory Coast had only one option in the second half – to put in the kitchen sink. They did so and then threw some more. Five in the first half versus nine in the second half. Their persistence finally paid off in the 74th minute.
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Diallo slipped past David Moller Wolff and Sander Berge as if Ørjan didn’t exist before driving a flawless finish beyond Nyland. At 1-1, the momentum shifted decisively in Africa’s favor.
The game looked destined for extra time when Ivory Coast found out why Helland was unstoppable. Oscar Bob sliced through Faé’s precious defense with a perfectly weighted pass into Berg. The midfielder’s task was simple: return the ball to the danger area with the full confidence that Haaland would cover the space. He did, as he often does.
The chaos created by Noosa and Haaland had breached the Ivorians’ proud defensive wall not once but twice.
When asked why he likes chaos, Nusa once replied: “Because my idol Neymar creates chaos on the pitch with his dribbling just like me.” Halland offers his own variation on the theme: “I enjoy the chaos around me.”
Brazil look forward to the Round of 16.