ERLING Haaland delivered when it mattered most, scoring a dramatic late winner to fire Norway into the FIFA World Cup last 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in their round-of-32 clash at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.
With extra time looming, Haaland converted Sander Berge's inviting cross in the 86th minute to seal Norway's first victory in the knockout stages of a World Cup and set up a mouth-watering encounter with Brazil in the next round.
Norway had taken the lead against the run of play in the 39th minute through Antonio Nusa, whose superb curling effort found the top corner after Ivory Coast had dominated much of the opening half.
The African side responded strongly after the interval and deservedly levelled in the 74th minute when substitute Amad Diallo produced a brilliant solo run before unleashing an unstoppable strike to mark Ivory Coast's World Cup knockout debut with a memorable goal.
However, Haaland had the decisive say, arriving in the closing stages to finish from close range after Oscar Bobb combined with Berge to create the winning opportunity.
The victory also reinforced Haaland's remarkable scoring record. The Norway captain became only the third player in World Cup history to score in each of his first three tournament appearances.
He also reached 60 international goals in just 54 matches, making him the fastest player to achieve the milestone, while extending his run of scoring in competitive internationals for Norway to 13 consecutive matches, during which he has netted 25 goals.
Despite spending much of the match on the fringes of the contest, Haaland once again demonstrated his clinical instincts, turning his first shot of the second half into the match-winning goal and underlining why he is regarded as one of world football's premier strikers.
Norway will now face five-time champions Brazil in the last 16, with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals at stake. - July 1, 2026
