Haaland scores late as Norway send Ivory Coast out of World Cup

ARLINGTON, Texas — Erling Haaland propelled Norway into a round-of-16 clash with Brazil by scoring a decisive goal in the 86th minute against Ivory Coast. The Manchester City striker had sat out Norway’s 4-1 loss to France in Boston earlier in the week, but returned to form, boosting his World Cup tally to five goals across three matches.

Haaland is now just one goal shy of Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. His late strike extended his remarkable run of scoring in every competitive match for Norway since October 2024, totaling 25 goals in just 13 appearances.

Match Summary

Norway initially took the lead when RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa netted a stunning goal in the 39th minute, curling it past Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. However, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo equalized for Ivory Coast in the 74th minute with an impressive solo effort, reigniting hope for his team.

Despite being relatively quiet for most of the match, Haaland struck four minutes from time, converting a pass from Patrick Berg to seal Norway’s victory. This win advances Norway to the MetLife Stadium for a highly anticipated matchup against Brazil.

Historically, Norway has had a favorable record against the Seleção, having not lost in their last four encounters. Their only previous World Cup meeting in 1998 ended in a 2-1 victory for Norway, setting a positive tone for the upcoming clash.