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Erling Haaland shattered Ivory Coast’s World Cup 2026 hopes on Tuesday, netting an 86th-minute winner that sent Norway into the last 16 with a 2-1 victory at Dallas Stadium.
Haaland’s fifth goal of the tournament sealed Norway’s progression after Amad Diallo had cancelled out Antonio Nusa’s 39th-minute opener, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Brazil in New York on Sunday.
The African side had shaded the opening exchanges with Nicolas Pepe threatening down the right, while Ghislain Konan went closest to putting his team ahead, bursting into the area to drag a shot into the side-netting. Yan Diomande picked out Pepe with a searching ball from the right only for the Villarreal man to mishit his shot, allowing the Norwegian defence to hack clear.
Erling Haaland scored the winner for Norway (Getty)
Haaland had been peripheral to that point but, as the end of the half drew near, Norway took control. The Manchester City striker miscued a downward header from Alexander Sorloth’s cross from the right, but the move sparked Stale Solbakken’s side into life as they upped the tempo and dominated possession.
Their growing superiority paid off when Martin Odegaard fed the ball out to the left to Nusa, who stepped onto his right foot to arc the sweetest of finishes around the flying Yahia Fofana and into the top corner. Haaland was denied soon after by a last-ditch block while Sorloth glanced his header across the face of goal from the resulting corner.
Emmanuel Agbadou nodded wide at the other end as the half drew to a close while Pepe was denied by Orjan Nyland 10 minutes after the restart having seen Guela Doue’s initial effort blocked by Torbjorn Heggem. Amad, introduced as a replacement for Christ Inao Oulai on the hour mark, cleared Heggem’s goal-bound effort off the line before dragging his team level at the other end.
Amad Diallo came off the bench to equalise after Antonio Nusa’s opening goal (Reuters)
The Manchester United winger played a rapid one-two with Pepe and held off David Moller Wolfe before sidestepping Sander Berge to thump a shot into the turf that bounced beyond Nyland, sparking a mass celebration. But it was Haaland who would have the final say.
Substitute Oscar Bobb, Haaland’s former City clubmate, slid the ball into the path of Patrick Berg inside the penalty area and he teed up the centre forward to score into an empty net with Fofana stranded. Nyland kept out Amad’s stoppage-time free kick to maintain his side’s slender advantage and ensure Norway progressed.
