Erling Haaland scored twice to inspire Norway to a stunning 2-1 victory over Brazil, sending his country into the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
For much of the round-of-16 encounter at New Jersey/New York Stadium, Haaland struggled to make an impact. However, the Norwegian captain came alive late in the game, scoring two goals within 11 minutes to seal a famous win over the five-time world champions.
Brazil pulled one back deep into stoppage time through a penalty converted by Neymar, but it was not enough to prevent Carlo Ancelotti’s side from crashing out of the tournament.
The victory extended Norway’s unbeaten record against Brazil to five meetings and booked them a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face either England or Mexico.
Haaland’s brace also took his World Cup tally to seven goals, drawing him level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Brazil had an opportunity to take the lead in the 14th minute, but Bruno Guimarães failed to convert from the penalty spot.
With the match seemingly destined for extra time, Haaland broke the deadlock in the 79th minute. Timing his run perfectly, he outmuscled Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães before powering a header beyond goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
The goal reignited the familiar rivalry between Haaland and Gabriel, forged during their battles in the English Premier League with Manchester City and Arsenal, as the Norwegian striker once again came out on top before adding a second goal to complete a memorable performance.
