TEXAS: Erling Haaland scored a vital goal as Norway edged past Ivory Coast in a thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 thriller to reach the last 16 at the Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.
Antonio Nusa opened the scoring for the Vikings in front of a 69,665 crowd before Amad Diallo’s brilliance leveled the game in the second half. Haaland’s touch of class propelled his side into the last 16 for the first time.
This marked the first time Stale Solbakken’s men have advanced from a knockout game in the tournament’s history.
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RB Leipzig winger Nusa showcased a piece of brilliance in the 39th minute as he collected the ball on the left corner of the area and utilized his right foot to fire a shot into the far corner. The strike would surely go into the goals of the tournament.
This was enough for Norway to go 1-0 at the end of the first half.
In the second half, Ivory Coast came out with attacking intent and carried most of the possession. Consequently, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, who came in as a substitute, scored a terrific equalizer in the 74th minute. Diallo moved past Nicolas Pepe and drove towards the area, and ended with a brilliant finish into the far corner.
The match was on a knife edge when Haaland, who had scored four goals in the tournament, put a cool finish from six yards to a cross by Patrick Berg in the 86th minute to create history. Manchester City striker Haaland has now scored in 13 successive matches for Norway.
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After the match, Ivory Coast players fell to the ground in disbelief, having been so close to sealing a win. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland and his father were in tears with a raucous crowd behind them
The Vikings will now face five-time champions Brazil on Sunday in New Jersey with an eye on the quarter-finals.
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