Haaland double stuns Brazil as Norway reach first-ever World Cup quarter-final
The Mt Kenya Times 
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 05: Patrick Berg #6 of Norway scores a goal that was ruled offside during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 05, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Two late strikes from the Manchester City forward end the five-time champions’ campaign at the last 16
By Norman Mwale
Erling Haaland scored twice in the closing stages to send Norway to a historic 2-1 win over Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 on Sunday, ending the five-time champions’ campaign in East Rutherford and sending the Scandinavians to their first-ever quarter-final. Played in humid conditions at the New York New Jersey Stadium before a sellout crowd of 80,663, the match stayed goalless until the closing stages despite a string of chances at both ends. Brazil had the game’s first big moment in the 13th minute, when Kristoffer Ajer was penalised for fouling Matheus Cunha inside the box after a VAR review. Bruno Guimarães, rather than Vinícius Júnior, stepped up to take it, and saw his effort saved low to Ørjan Nyland’s left. Nyland went on to deny several more Brazilian chances before the break, including efforts from Vinícius Júnior and Gabriel Martinelli. Norway made the breakthrough in the 79th minute. Substitute Andreas Schjelderup, on since half-time, whipped in a cross from the left that Haaland rose above the Brazilian defence to head home. It was his sixth goal of the tournament. Eleven minutes later, Haaland struck again. Schjelderup again supplied the pass, and the Manchester City striker drove a low, powerful finish into the corner from the edge of the box to make it 2-0. The goal marked his 14th consecutive competitive international in which he has scored, and drew him level with Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament’s scoring charts, on seven goals. Brazil pulled one back deep into stoppage time. Neymar, introduced as a second-half substitute, converted a penalty after Leo Østigård was penalised for an elbow on Casemiro. It proved only a consolation. Visibly emotional afterwards, Neymar signalled the end of his international career: “I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I finished here,” he said — a reference to the same stadium where he made his Brazil debut in 2010. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti defended the decision to hand the penalty to Guimarães ahead of Vinícius Júnior, explaining that statistical analysis of penalty-takers had ranked Guimarães third among available players, behind Neymar and Igor Thiago, with first-choice taker Raphinha unavailable through injury. Ancelotti also acknowledged deeper problems in his side, saying Brazil needed “new, young players of a high level” to emerge in midfield. The defeat means Brazil have failed to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1990. For Norway, the win was built on second-half changes, with coach Ståle Solbakken’s decision to introduce Schjelderup and Oscar Bobb proving decisive in unlocking Haaland’s game-winning contributions.
Final score: Brazil 1-2 Norway Scorers: Brazil — Neymar 90+10′ (pen); Norway — Haaland 79′, 90′ Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford Attendance: 80,663
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