Erling Haaland struck twice in devastating fashion as Norway knocked Brazil out of the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 victory in the Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Norway’s historic triumph sends them into the quarter-finals for the first time, where they will face the winner of England versus Mexico. Brazil, meanwhile, suffer their earliest World Cup exit since 1990.
A cagey first half was defined by missed opportunities. Patrick Berg thought he had given Norway a third-minute lead, but VAR ruled the goal out after finding Alexander Sørloth offside in the buildup.
Brazil were then handed a golden chance from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha inside the box, with VAR confirming the decision.
Bruno Guimarães stepped up but saw his effort saved by Ørjan Nyland.
Guimarães became the first Brazilian to miss a World Cup penalty in normal time since 1986, and the significance of that failure would only grow as the match wore on.
The deadlock persisted deep into the second half until halftime substitute Andreas Schjelderup swung in a cross that Haaland met with a towering header over Gabriel in the 79th minute to break Brazilian hearts.
Ten minutes later, Haaland sealed the victory with a clinical low strike from the edge of the box, again fed by the excellent Schjelderup.
The Manchester City striker’s brace took his tournament tally to seven goals, level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé atop the Golden Boot standings.
Neymar, introduced from the bench due to ongoing fitness management, converted a stoppage-time penalty with his trademark stutter-step run-up. The goal, awarded for a soft foul in the 100th minute, proved merely a consolation.
Norway’s remarkable record against Brazil endures. They remain the only nation to have faced the five-time champions multiple times without ever losing, now boasting three wins and two draws in five meetings.
Ståle Solbakken had spoken before the match of his belief that an upset was possible. “Brazil are favourites, of course they are, but we are not playing the game for fun, we are playing to win the game and to reach the quarterfinals, ” the Norway coach said.
His players delivered emphatically.
For Brazil, the pain runs deep. They have still not beaten a European team in a World Cup knockout match since the 2002 final against Germany, a drought now stretching across six tournaments.
Haaland’s performance was the defining image of the night, a striker at the peak of his powers delivering on the grandest stage when his nation needed him most. Norway march on into uncharted territory.
