A Shock Upset in East Rutherford
Norway entered the round of 16 clash in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a modest fan base but a clear ambition: to break Brazil's storied World Cup dominance.
The breakthrough came in the 79th minute when Erling Haaland rose to meet Andreas Schjelderup's cross with a powerful header, opening the scoring and igniting the Norwegian bench.
Nine minutes later, Schjelderup again supplied the decisive pass, this time threading a low ball that Haaland dispatched with composure to seal a 2-1 lead.
The goals pushed Haaland's tournament tally to seven, drawing him level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé at the summit of the scoring charts, underscoring his meteoric impact.
Brazil's hopes were briefly revived when Neymar converted a penalty in added time, but the strike could not overturn the deficit. Earlier, Bruno Guimaraes had missed a spot‑kick in the 13th minute after a VAR‑reviewed foul by Kristoffer Ajer on Matheus Cunha.
With the victory, Norway secured a quarter‑final position, while Brazil's campaign ended in disappointment, highlighting the unpredictable nature of knockout football.