Norway Shocks Brazil to Reach FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals
Historic Victory for Norway
Photo: @almuhaqiq777/X
New Jersey, July 6: In a stunning display, Erling Haaland scored twice, leading Norway to a remarkable 2-1 victory over Brazil, the five-time champions, at New Jersey Stadium on Monday (IST). This win marks Norway's first-ever advancement to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.
This defeat signifies Brazil's earliest exit from the tournament since 1990, when they were eliminated by Argentina in the round of 16.
With this victory, Norway is now just two matches away from the final, having triumphed over Brazil in the knockout stage, thanks to Haaland's sixth and seventh goals of the tournament. These goals place him in contention for the adidas Golden Boot alongside Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Haaland has achieved an impressive tally of 62 goals in 54 matches for Norway. He is now tied with his childhood idol, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who holds the record for the most international goals by a Scandinavian with 62 in 122 appearances. Haaland has also scored in his last 14 competitive matches for Norway, netting 27 goals during this streak.
Norway started aggressively in New Jersey, nearly scoring early when Patrick Berg's shot hit the net, only for it to be ruled offside. Shortly after, Brazil was awarded a penalty following a VAR review, but Orjan Håskjold Nyland made a spectacular save to keep the score level.
As the match progressed, Norway's fortunes improved. Andreas Schjelderup assisted Haaland, who headed the ball into the net to give Norway the lead. Haaland then scored again from 16 meters, securing a two-goal advantage.
Brazil's Neymar managed to convert a penalty in the tenth minute of stoppage time, but it was merely a consolation as Brazil faced their earliest World Cup exit in over three decades, while Norway celebrated their historic journey to the quarterfinals.