FIFA World Cup 2026: Haaland scores winner to send Norway into last-16 Brazil clash

Erling Haaland scored a late winner as Norway set up a last16 showdown with Brazil at the World Cup after taming the Ivory Coast 21 in Texas on TuesdayThe Manchester City striker prodded in from close range the ball dribbling in on 86 minutes for his fifth goal of the tournamentIt was the first time that Norway had won a knockout game in the history of the competition and Haaland looked emotional afterwards After an even first half that was slow to get going Antonio Nusa fired Norway into the lead six minutes before the break with one of the goals of the tournamentManchester Uniteds Amad Diallo was sent on for the Ivory Coast and was immediately in the thick of it stopping a certain second Norway goal and then grabbing a terrific equaliser on 74 minutesWith extra time looming predator supreme Haaland got on the end of a cross by Patrick Berg to make some Norwegian historyThey face fivetime champions Brazil on Sunday in New Jersey with the quarterfinals at stakeNorway captain Martin Odegaard said that with Haaland they always had a chance Meeting Brazil in the World Cup is as big as it can be said the midfielder who will face Arsenal teammates Gabriel and Gabriel MartinelliIts amazing to have him Haaland in the team were lucky to have him and its just about giving him as many opportunities as possibleDiallo said they gifted Norway the winner by failing to pick up Haaland in the boxThe centre forward has scored in each of his last 13 competitive internationals hitting 25 goals along the wayWhen you leave Erling Haaland alone in a match you pay the price said DialloWere a little disappointed because we thought we could go further in this competitionBut were also proud of ourselves because weve accomplished something that previous generations perhaps hadnt managedRedhot HaalandA match between two physical teams was tepid to begin with at the impressive airconditioned home of the Dallas CowboysThe Ivory Coast players and fans were irate just before the drinks break when the livewire Yan Diomande was brought down on the break just inside his own halfReferee Jesus Valenzuela surprisingly did not even book defender David Moller WolfeThe 19yearold winger Diomande who appears set to join European champions Paris SaintGermain from RB Leipzig was growing into the gameThe African side one of the youngest at the tournament were on top and particularly threatening down Diomandes lefthand side of the pitchHaaland had little to feed on but might have done better with a tame header that bounced into the hands of goalkeeper Yahia FofanaThen came a moment of genuine class as Nusa fed by Odegaard cut inside and bent the ball wonderfully into the top cornerOdegaard put his hands on his head in disbelief at the strike by the 21yearold Diomandes Leipzig teammateStale Solbakkens Norway finished the first half on the hunt for a second and Haaland was denied by a lastgasp block by Ibrahim Sangare who celebrated as if scoring a goalThe Ivory Coast into the knockout rounds for the first time won their 10th corner to start the second halfNicolas Pepe was denied by the legs of Norway stopper Orjan Nyland as the Ivory Coast piled on the pressureNorway runnersup to France in the group stage were inches away from a second when Diallo blocked the ball on the goal line following a cornerThe Norway fans sensing the next round was close began their nowfamous rowing in the standsAlmost as soon as they stopped Diallo danced into the box past two challenges for a spectacular levellerThen up popped Haaland to break Ivorian hearts with goalkeeper Nyland pulling off a flying stop from Diallos wellstruck free kick at the death to send Norway throughThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever