Norway Reaches World Cup Round of 16 After Haaland Sinks Ivory Coast
Texas. Erling Haaland savored the moment after Norway won its first-ever World Cup knockout match, celebrating with a horned Viking helmet atop his head before sitting on the field with his teammates to perform the Viking Row in unison with their sea of red-clad fans.
"This is unbelievable. This is history," Haaland said on the field after the match.
A deft touch from Haaland's left foot in the 86th minute proved decisive as Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday, setting up a World Cup Round of 16 showdown with five-time champion Brazil — 28 years after the victory many Norwegians still consider their nation's greatest.
For now, though, the team is focused on celebrating its latest milestone.
"What we're going to do now is enjoy today's win. We're really happy and proud of ourselves," captain Martin Ødegaard said after beating a drum to set the rhythm for the postgame Viking Row. "Hopefully we can keep dreaming, keep believing and keep performing like we did."
Antonio Nusa gave Norway the lead in the first half with a curling strike. Norway, making only its fourth World Cup appearance, will face Brazil on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"This is really a dream come true," Nusa said through a translator.
Norway is playing in its first World Cup since 1998, when it reached the knockout stage after scoring in the 83rd and 89th minutes to complete a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory over defending champion Brazil in the group-stage finale.
Amad Diallo, who had earlier denied Norway a second goal with a crucial defensive block, equalized for Ivory Coast in the 74th minute with a left-footed strike.
But Haaland restored Norway's lead 12 minutes later with his record-extending 60th international goal in just 53 appearances.
Even after conceding, Ivory Coast kept pressing and nearly forced extra time in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Diallo's direct free kick was tipped away by goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who leaped across his goal to make the final of his four saves.
"After their equalizer, it would have been easy to panic," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. "But we got our players back into the right positions and managed to play our game again."
Haaland had just 27 touches — the fewest of any Norway player to play the full match — but made the decisive one. Patrick Berg drove into the penalty area before slipping a quick pass to Haaland, whose close-range finish slowly rolled over the goal line after the striker lunged forward as if preparing to make sure it crossed.
It was Haaland's fifth goal in three matches at this year's tournament, one behind Lionel Messi's tournament-leading six for Argentina.
The Manchester City striker, who won last season's Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals, has now scored in 13 consecutive competitive internationals, netting 25 goals during that streak.
The youthful Elephants, ranked 31st in the FIFA rankings, had never before won two matches at a single World Cup. This was the West African nation's fourth tournament appearance, matching Norway's total.
"We are proud of what we achieved," Diallo said. "But it's a big disappointment because we know we have quality in this team. We have players who can make a difference at any moment."
Nusa scored his first World Cup goal in the 39th minute, cutting in from the left edge of the penalty area before curling a right-footed shot between two defenders toward the far post.
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana dived but could only watch as the ball curled beyond his outstretched hand and into the net. It was Nusa's ninth international goal in 28 appearances for Norway.
Diallo leveled the score after combining with Nicolas Pépé in a give-and-go before finding space for a powerful left-footed finish. Earlier, Pépé — who had scored both of Ivory Coast's goals in its previous match — was denied by Nyland in the 55th minute.
Diallo had also made a crucial defensive intervention about eight minutes earlier, deflecting Torbjørn Heggem's goal-bound effort away from danger.
Nusa's yellow card in first-half stoppage time gave Ivory Coast a free kick, but the ensuing header drifted wide of the post.
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