Five-time champions crash out after Haaland’s brace secures Norway’s greatest victory on the world stage….reports London Daily News Desk
Erling Haaland struck twice as Norway produced one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history, defeating five-time champions Brazil 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
The historic victory at New Jersey Stadium also marked Brazil’s earliest World Cup exit since 1990, when they were eliminated by Argentina in the Round of 16.
Haaland continued his sensational tournament with his sixth and seventh goals, moving level with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. The Norwegian striker has now scored 62 goals in 54 international appearances, equalling the Scandinavian international scoring record held by Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who reached the same tally in 122 matches.
The Manchester City forward has also found the net in each of Norway’s last 14 competitive matches, scoring 27 goals during that remarkable run.
Norway began the match aggressively and thought they had taken the lead within three minutes when Patrick Berg found the back of the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Brazil had a golden opportunity to open the scoring shortly afterwards when they were awarded a penalty following a VAR review, but Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Håskjold Nyland produced an outstanding save to deny the five-time world champions.
Norway made their dominance count before halftime. Andreas Schjelderup set up Haaland, who headed home the opening goal before doubling the advantage moments later with a composed finish from inside the penalty area.
Brazil pushed forward in search of a comeback but struggled to break down Norway’s disciplined defence.
Neymar converted a penalty deep into stoppage time to reduce the deficit, but it proved only a consolation as Brazil crashed out of the tournament.
The victory sends Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the nation’s history, leaving them just two wins away from a place in the final.
‘Gift from God’
Erling Haaland described his remarkable goalscoring instinct as a “gift from God” after his match-winning brace powered Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil and a maiden FIFA World Cup quarterfinal berth.
The Norwegian striker continued his sensational tournament by scoring twice against the five-time champions, taking his tally to seven goals in just four World Cup appearances. In doing so, he became the first player since West Germany’s Gerd Muller at the 1970 World Cup to reach that mark in his first four matches at the tournament.
His latest exploits also left him level with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Despite the milestone, the Manchester City forward remained modest, attributing his clinical finishing to focus and instinct.
“That’s just how it usually goes. If I get a chance or two, it usually ends up as a goal. I don’t know how I do it, but that’s how I do it,” Haaland said after the match.
“It’s all about staying focused. I tell myself the chance will come. I’m starting to realise now that it’s a gift from God that it goes in perfectly. It’s crazy.”
The 24-year-old also reflected on what the victory meant for his country, urging young Norwegians to dream of representing the national team.
“We just kept pushing forward. I hope all the young people watching this interview, when you get a little older, you’ll see playing for Norway as the proudest thing you’ll ever do in your entire life. It’s absolutely insane.”
Haaland said he wished he could celebrate alongside supporters back home, describing the victory as one of the greatest moments in Norwegian sporting history.
“I wish I was on the streets. I wish I was right there in the thick of it. Everyone in Norway has to enjoy this moment. It’s one of the craziest days in Norwegian history.”
The victory was one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, ending Brazil’s campaign in the Round of 16 and extending Norway’s unbeaten World Cup record against the South American giants.
Haaland has now scored 62 goals in 54 international appearances, equalling the Scandinavian international scoring record held by Swedish great Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who reached the same tally in 122 matches. He has also found the net in each of Norway’s last 14 competitive fixtures.
Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, whose outstanding performance included saving a first-half penalty from Bruno Guimaraes, admitted the magnitude of the achievement had yet to sink in.
“It’s very hard to describe these emotions. It’s such an amazing feeling — the best feeling ever,” Nyland said.
“We knew we were the underdogs and that it would be difficult, but we always believed we could beat Brazil.”
Calling the result a landmark moment for Norwegian football, Nyland said defeating one of the tournament favourites on the biggest stage was something the players would cherish forever.
“We all know how good Brazil are and what they represent in World Cup history. It’s an incredible achievement. I’m so happy for everyone back home. This is the World Cup — it doesn’t get any bigger — and we’re still here.”
Norway will now head into the quarterfinals seeking to continue its dream run and move one step closer to an unprecedented place in the World Cup semifinals.
‘This Isn’t The End’
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted the country’s shock FIFA World Cup exit at the hands of Norway should be seen as the start of a rebuilding process rather than the end of an era, pledging to use the disappointment as the foundation for a stronger future.
The five-time world champions crashed out in the Round of 16 after a 2-1 defeat to Norway, with Erling Haaland scoring twice before Neymar’s injury-time penalty reduced the deficit. The result condemned Brazil to their earliest World Cup elimination since 1990.
Despite the defeat, Ancelotti felt his side had produced enough chances to win the contest.
“We are all deeply saddened because the team had a good World Cup, even if it wasn’t spectacular,” the Italian said after the match.
“I believe we also deserved to win today’s game. But when a moment like this happens, you have to see defeat as the beginning of a new adventure. This is not the end; it is the beginning of a new cycle.”
Brazil entered the knockout stage after topping Group C, drawing with Morocco and registering victories over Haiti and Scotland before edging past Japan 2-1 in the previous round.
Ancelotti acknowledged that the setback would require careful reflection but said the focus would now shift to building a stronger squad ahead of the next World Cup.
“We will continue working for the national team, looking for improvements and new ideas, just as we have done throughout this year,” he said.
“I believe the work has been good. Football is like this sometimes—you have to deal with the sadness of defeat. I have experienced these moments before, and we will use this disappointment to move forward with renewed motivation while evaluating the players and preparing for the future.”
Monday’s defeat ended an impressive record for Brazil in the World Cup Round of 16. Before the loss to Norway, the Seleção had won nine of their previous 11 matches at this stage, drawing one and losing only once—the 1-0 defeat to Argentina at the 1990 World Cup, decided by Claudio Caniggia after a memorable run from Diego Maradona.
Their only other stumble came in 2014, when they were held by Chile before advancing on penalties on home soil.
Norway’s victory, however, ensured that Brazil’s proud knockout record suffered another rare blemish, while Ancelotti now turns his attention to leading the South American giants into a new chapter.
