Norway booked a place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup after Erling Haaland scored a late winner in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in Dallas.
Haaland struck in the 86th minute, tapping home from close range after Patrick Berg’s cutback to seal Norway’s first World Cup knockout victory and send his side into a last-16 clash with Brazil.
The Manchester City striker had endured a quiet evening before delivering the decisive moment, extending his remarkable scoring run to 13 consecutive competitive international matches for Norway.
Norway took the lead in the 39th minute through Antonio Nusa, who produced a superb curling effort into the top corner after cutting inside from the left.
Ivory Coast struggled to create chances in the opening half and manager Emerse Fae responded by introducing Amad Diallo after the break.
The substitution paid off as the Manchester United winger equalised in the 74th minute with an impressive solo effort, beating two defenders before calmly slotting the ball into the net.
Moments earlier, Diallo had also made a crucial defensive contribution by clearing Torbjørn Heggem’s close-range effort off the goal line to keep his side in the contest.
However, Norway regained the lead four minutes from time when Berg’s low cross found Haaland, who bundled the ball over the line from close range.
Ivory Coast pushed for another equaliser in the closing stages, with Diallo forcing goalkeeper Orjan Nyland into a fine save from a late free-kick, but Norway held on to secure qualification.
The victory sets up a Round of 16 meeting with Brazil, while Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign comes to an end.
