Erling Haaland struck late once again as Norway edged past Ivory Coast 2-1 in a dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash in Dallas on Tuesday, sealing his side’s place in the last 16 where a blockbuster encounter against Brazil now awaits.
In a fiercely contested match that swung both ways, Norway needed their star striker to deliver in the closing moments after Ivory Coast had fought back brilliantly to cancel out an earlier setback. Haaland, relatively quiet for most of the contest, appeared at the perfect moment in the 86th minute to tap home the decisive winner and continue his remarkable scoring streak.
The victory marked a historic achievement for Norway, who reached the knockout stage after an impressive group campaign and now secured their first ever World Cup knockout victory.
Ivory Coast started brightly and looked the more threatening side early on, forcing Norway onto the back foot with aggressive attacking play and a series of dangerous deliveries into the box. They repeatedly troubled the Norwegian defense, but the African side failed to convert their early momentum.
Against the run of play, Norway found the breakthrough in spectacular fashion six minutes before halftime through Antonio Nusa. Picking up possession on the left edge of the area, the 21-year-old winger created space for himself before unleashing a stunning curling effort that flew into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Yahia Fofana helpless. The brilliant strike gave Norway a somewhat undeserved lead heading into the break.
Ivory Coast responded with greater urgency after the restart and deservedly restored parity midway through the second half with another superb individual effort. Amad Diallo produced a moment of magic in the 74th minute, driving into the penalty area, cutting inside a defender and rifling an angled finish beyond goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
The equaliser shifted momentum firmly toward the Elephants, who pressed relentlessly and earned a remarkable 14 corners throughout the match, sensing a famous victory.
But with extra time looming, Norway found one final opening. Substitute Oscar Bobb threaded a perfectly weighted pass to Patrick Berg, whose low cut-back found Haaland arriving unmarked inside the six-yard box. The prolific striker made no mistake, calmly turning the ball home from close range in the 86th minute to break Ivorian hearts.
The goal was Haaland’s fifth of the tournament and his astonishing 60th international strike in just 53 appearances for .
Ivory Coast threw everything forward in stoppage time and nearly forced extra time when substitute Evann Guessand headed narrowly wide deep into added time, but Norway survived to secure a memorable victory.
With Brazil waiting next, Norway’s dream World Cup run now faces its biggest challenge yet.