Erling Haaland and Gabriel Magalhães will renew their club rivalry on the international stage when Brazil face Norway in the World Cup last-16 on Sunday, with the winners earning a potential quarter-final against England or Mexico. The match kicks off at 9pm BST at a venue still to be confirmed, as the tournament’s knockout phase intensifies.
Among those watching from afar will be Lars Bøgegaard, a Danish fan who wrote to the Guardian to declare his support for Norway. “I will be rooting enthusiastically for our Norwegian neighbours while rowing in my armchair,” he said, recalling Denmark’s own World Cup heartbreak. “The Swedes has been to a World Cup final and reached two semifinals, while we Danes got to the quarterfinals in 1998 losing narrowly 3-2 against … Brazil. Now it’s Norway’s turn to experience the sheer happiness, I hope.”
“Brazil face Norway in World Cup last-16 as Haaland and Gabriel renew rivalry, with a potential England/Mexico quarter-final looming.”
The match itself carries added tension after a controversial red card shown to US forward Folarin Balogun earlier in the tournament. Tim Exton, writing to the Guardian, described the decision as “harsh” but argued it should stand. “That said, there should be an expedited appeals procedure, rather than it being left to the all-too-Fifa-ish behind closed doors reconsideration,” he wrote. Exton added that “the fact Trump celebrated it, when the future likes of Balogun would be denied US citizenship, is just the icing on the Corruption Gateaux.”
On the pitch, Brazil will rely on Gabriel’s defensive solidity to contain Haaland, whose goals have powered Norway to this stage. The winner will face either England or Mexico in the quarter-finals, with England’s last-16 tie against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca threatened by storms.