Norway vs – Norway and Ivory Coast meet in the World Cup Round of 32 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Norway leading 1-0 at halftime on Antonio Nusa’s 40th-minute goal. The winner advances to face Brazil in the Round of 16 after a matchup that carries fresh stake
Norway and Ivory Coast kicked off their World Cup Round of 32 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with the early tempo already showing how tightly this match could swing.
By halftime, Norway held a 1-0 lead thanks to Antonio Nusa’s goal in the 40th minute. Through 49 minutes. Ivory Coast had not backed off—its attack kept finding moments around the box even with Norway’s structure holding firm. At the 49-minute mark. the game was described as “quite competitive. ” and the first-half extra time was expected to run at least four minutes.
Ivory Coast has been awarded multiple chances in the early stretch. including an eighth corner kick already. and it was close to breaking through again. A “near-perfect chance” fell in front of Erling Haaland’s foot. but Ivory Coast managed to deflect the attempt mere feet from the goal. Haaland also had a header near the goal that the defense cleared. and Ivory Coast’s pressure kept generating opportunities. even when it couldn’t turn them into goals.
The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story of how Norway’s lead formed. Nusa’s strike came after he made a move in the box and finished into the back-right corner with his right foot. Haaland rose for a header. but couldn’t put it on with enough force before Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana collected it.
As play moved on, Norway continued to look dangerous in its own moments. Sander Berge’s shot inside the box was blocked, leading to a Norway corner kick. Meanwhile. Ivory Coast was already demonstrating urgency from the flanks—Ghislain Konan nearly scored with a left-footed attempt inside the box. hitting the outside of the net.
There was also a sense of scale and mismatch in the matchups, with Haaland listed at 6-foot-5 and described as faster than many fans might realize for a player of his height.
Norway and Ivory Coast also entered the match with contrasting tournament narratives. Norway’s route included victories over Tunisia and Senegal. with the team resting its starters for the group finale against France. when it was blown out 4-1. Ivory Coast. playing its fourth World Cup appearance. reached the knockout stage for the first time in history—finishing runner-up behind Brazil in Group C with six points from wins over Ecuador and Curacao. The winner of Tuesday’s match will face Brazil in the Round of 16. Brazil advanced after defeating Japan 2-1 following a first-half deficit.
The stakes around this game are immediate, and the match already carried a spotlight beyond the pitch. The coverage noted that Micah Parsons was present for Norway-Ivory Coast at a venue tied to his former team. the Dallas Cowboys. even though the match is being held at AT&T Stadium. Parsons is recovering from a knee injury and is hoping to return in 2026.
Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said his team had “no excuses” going into the knockout match. Speaking Monday. June 29. Solbakken referenced how Norway prepared for Ivory Coast after what he called a “perfect game” against Senegal apart from the last 10-15 minutes. He said the team was well-prepared. the players were happy. and that they had played games until late last night with everyone in a good mood physically and mentally. He also said Norway needs to “step up a bit.”.
Ivory Coast entered the game with a young core driving its forward momentum. Winger Yan Diomande, described as 19 years old and reportedly close to a move from RB Leipzig to Paris Saint-Germain, is starting against Norway.
On the scoring side, Norway’s Erling Haaland arrived with momentum already built: he has scored four goals in three games at the 2026 World Cup and ranks third in the Golden Boot race.
The teams’ starting lineups were:
Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana, Ghislain Konan, Odilon Kossounou, Emmanuel Agbadou, Guela Doue, Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Christ Inao Oulai, Yan Diomande, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Nicolas Pepe.
Norway: Orjan Nyland, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge, Patrick Berg, Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland, Antonio Nusa.
The match, kicking off at 1:00 PM ET, is being played at AT&T Stadium. Norway has never won the World Cup, and the 2026 appearance is the first time the nation has qualified since 1998.
As the second half approaches, the tension in the numbers is clear: Norway leads 1-0 at halftime, but Ivory Coast has repeatedly threatened—already creating multiple corners and getting repeated looks at goal—even as Haaland and Norway’s back line have held firm.
Norway vs Ivory Coast World Cup Round of 32 Erling Haaland Antonio Nusa AT&T Stadium Arlington Texas Brazil round of 16