Erling Haaland delivered again for his country, scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes – his sixth and seventh of the tournament – to send Brazil home and keep the Viking invasion rolling on at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Norway are into the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time after a 2-1 victory that stunned the five-time champions.
The result is a massive vindication for Ståle Solbakken and the team he has built over the past half decade. Norway set out to dominate Brazil in the first half, without much in the way of success. A double substitution at half-time changed all that, with Norway able to carve open a Brazil side who had their chances but failed to take them.
“Erling Haaland scores twice as Norway beat Brazil 2-1 to reach World Cup quarter-finals for first time.”
Haaland scored two goals from four attempts and has 30 goals in his past 17 competitive fixtures for Norway. The opening goal came with nine minutes to go, a cross from the substitute Andreas Schjelderup met with a towering leap above his rival at club level Gabriel Magalhães and a dagger header past Alisson. As the game passed into added time Haaland struck again, granted space on the edge of the Brazil penalty area to convert a Schjelderup pass low across goal. Norway’s talisman celebrated largely by just standing and smiling. His colleagues and the streak of Norwegian supporters behind the goal did the rest.
Carlo Ancelotti surprised everyone by naming Gabriel Martinelli in his XI. A replacement for the injured Lucas Paquetá, Martinelli assumed the former’s central midfield position – despite never playing there for his club – and was tasked not only with driving Brazil up the pitch but leading their counter-press. It was an unusual sight and while spectators were still trying to grasp the Brazilian formation, Norway had the ball in the net. In the third minute a lovely through ball from Martin Ødegaard allowed Julian Ryerson to cut the ball back to any number of waiting attackers, with Patrick Berg applying the finishing touch. The flag went up against Ryerson, however, and the video assistant referee confirmed the call.
Another overturn worked in Brazil’s favour 10 minutes later. Matheus Cunha was taken out by Kristoffer Ajer at the end of a swift move, but the details of that incident were not carried further in the match report.
Norway’s reward is a quarter-final meeting with England, who earlier beat Mexico 3-2 in a breathless classic to set up the last-eight tie. The Three Lions will now face Haaland and his Viking horde.