Haaland’s 86th-minute – Erling Haaland scored in the 86th minute as Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in a first World Cup knockout win, booking a Round of 16 meeting with Brazil at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
ARLINGTON. Texas — The moment arrived in the 86th minute. when three Norway defenders converged on Patrick Berg just inside the penalty area. Berg laid the ball over to the wide-open Erling Haaland. and Haaland finished to send Norway into the Round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
It was Norway’s first knockout win at a World Cup. The goal also matched Haaland’s rising tournament form, his fifth strike in three games, and it came as he extended his Norway-record tally to his 60th goal in 53 matches.
Before Haaland struck. Antonio Nusa put Norway ahead in the first half with a curling right-footed kick in the 39th minute. Nusa had taken a few strides past the left corner of the area and sent the ball between two defenders toward the far post. Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana launched himself in a diving attempt that was just beyond his reach. then turned his head back in time to see it curl into the net.
The lead didn’t hold. Amad Diallo, who had kept Norway from going up by two earlier in the second half, leveled the match in the 74th minute. Diallo struck with his left foot after a give-and-go with Nicolas Pepe. A breakthrough was finally found in the area, and Diallo’s blast made it 1-1.
Norway regained control only after Haaland’s late strike. Even then, Ivory Coast wouldn’t stop pressing. The team had a chance to equalize from a direct free kick by Diallo in the sixth minute of stoppage time. but Orjan Nyland produced a leaping stop. deflecting the ball away with his extended right hand for his fourth save of the match.
For Norway, the win carries a weight beyond the scoreboard. The match ends a long wait: 28 years earlier. many called Norway’s greatest win ever after an incredible 2-1 comeback against Brazil in the group finale. Back then. Norway scored in the 83rd and 89th minutes to beat the reigning World Cup champions. and now they’ve secured their first knockout victory with Haaland’s late finish.
Norway will face five-time champion Brazil in the Round of 16 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This was Norway’s fourth World Cup appearance and their first since the 1998 tournament, when they reached the knockout stage through that dramatic comeback over Brazil.
Haaland’s impact has been impossible to ignore. The Manchester City Golden Boot winner last season with 27 Premier League goals has scored in 13 straight competitive international games. adding up to 25 goals in that span. Diallo’s run. meanwhile. helped Ivory Coast keep their chances alive after both of their World Cup goals in their previous match were scored by Nicolas Pepe. who was stopped by Nyland in the 55th minute.
Ivory Coast, ranked 31st by FIFA, took another step in their tournament story too. The Elephants had never before won twice in the same World Cup. This was only their fourth World Cup appearance—matching Norway’s total—but they came up short in a match that kept swinging until the final minutes.
As the second half unfolded, the pressure kept building around Norway’s attempts to go two goals clear. About eight minutes before Diallo’s equalizer, Torbjorn Heggen had a shot for Norway that was deflected away by Diallo, who was right next to his keeper.
Right before halftime, the momentum nearly turned again for Ivory Coast after Nusa drew a yellow card in stoppage time. Pepe took the free kick, and the resulting header inside went left of the post.
Even after Haaland’s winner, Ivory Coast kept pushing for a breakthrough—one last chance, one last collision of legs and hope—before Nyland’s outstretched save ended the threat and secured Norway’s place in the Round of 16.
MISRYOUM Sports News World Cup Norway vs Ivory Coast Erling Haaland Antonio Nusa Amad Diallo Patrick Berg Orjan Nyland MetLife Stadium Brazil Round of 16