Erling Haaland delivers late to propel Norway
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- June 30, 2026
Norway advances to Round of 16 match against Brazil
ARLINGTON, Texas – As dejected Ivory Coast players cried into each other’s shoulders, Norway star Erling Haaland walked over to hug them and offer words of encouragement. Then the 6-foot-5 forward turned, smiled and jogged to the opposite goal with his arms stretched out as if flapping wings while he headed to celebrate near the section with Norway’s loudest supporters’ group.
A few minutes later, a red drum was brought out and handed to Norway captain Martin Odegaard, who placed it inside the 18-yard box as the Vikings’ players, coaches and staff lined behind each other in six long rows at the left corner of the box as a buzz of anticipation built at Dallas Stadium.
Once Odegaard lifted his left arm, the red-clad fans got into place and waited for him to pound the drum so they could row merrily into a World Cup Round of 16 match against mighty Brazil.
Haaland capped a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast with a tapper just outside the six-yard box before a crowd of 69,655, sealing Norway’s first victory in the knockout stage of any World Cup. Norway will face five-time champion Brazil on July 5 at New Jersey-New York Stadium.
‘Here for a reason’
“We are here for a reason because we won and we are good, so anything can happen,” said Antonio Nusa, who gave Norway a 1-0 lead. “It’s one game, so for sure it will be a good game. May the best win.”
For long stretches, the Ivory Coast seemed to be the more dynamic side. Yet, Norway never trailed in the Round of 32 match. Norway took the lead on Nusa’s brilliant strike in the 39th minute. He received the ball just outside of the left side of the 18-yard box.
With at least six yards of clear space, Nusa let his first touch with his left foot take him into the box. Then he took his next touch with his right foot to challenge a defender. Nusa feinted left, then right and left again before curling his next touch brilliantly into the right corner of the net.
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana made a valiant, outstretched dive attempt to his left, desperately trying to get his left glove on the ball, which sailed safely just inside the far post as the crowd erupted.
The Elephants tied the score in the 74th minute with a brilliant run and finish by Amad Diallo. After using a wall pass to break into the left side of the 18-yard box, Diallo cut in past one defender and then cut left past another defender before shooting low into the back of the net.
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“We achieved something that the (last) generation didn’t achieve,” Diallo said of the Ivory Coast’s appearance in the knockout stage. “We are the youngest team in this competition, so we are proud for what we achieved since now.
“But it’s a big disappointment because we knew we have quality in the team. We have players that can make a difference any time. We knew that we can go far from this competition. That is the biggest disappointment from everyone.”
Losing sight of Haaland
Unfortunately for the Ivory Coast, they lost sight of the biggest star of the match in the 86th minute. Patrick Berg made a run down the right side of the box, pulling the defenders to him before passing across the mouth of the goal for Erling Haaland to tap it in with his instep from just outside the six-yard box.
“We know we have a good team,” Diallo said. “They have quality in their team. Like I said, if you leave a player like Haaland alone in this kind of game and this kind of moment, it’s difficult because everyone knows Haaland is a world-class player. You can’t leave him alone, so he was there. He scored, and they (won).”
Diallo almost tied it in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland parried his shot away. Once the final whistle blew, most of the Ivory Coast players on the pitch fell to their knees in agony. Norway and its fans celebrated and awaited the rowing tradition that they’ve even carried to Major League Baseball Stadiums while touring the United States between World Cup matches.
“It’s unbelievable,” Odegaard said. “It’s been some really, really good performances in this World Cup, especially from the strikers scoring goals and being important. … And Erling, of course, scoring goals every single time he plays, almost. It’s amazing to have him on the team. We’re lucky to have him. It’s just about giving him as many opportunities as possible.”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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