Erling Haaland led Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil on Sunday, securing the Scandinavian nation’s first-ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance. The match took place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

Haaland scored both goals for Norway, breaking a scoreless tie with a header in the 79th minute assisted by Andreas Schjelderup, who had entered at halftime. Later, in the 90th minute, Haaland struck a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box, threading the ball through the legs of Brazil’s midfielder Danilo Santos to put Norway ahead decisively. The striker’s seven goals in the tournament now tie him with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot race.

Before his late heroics, Haaland had limited involvement during much of the game, receiving advice from Norway’s coach Ståle Solbakken during the second-half hydration break to conserve energy for a late surge. Haaland’s performance capped a 14-match scoring streak for Norway, where he has netted 62 goals in 54 appearances.

Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland was instrumental in preserving the narrow lead. Nyland, 35 and the team’s oldest player, made a key save early by diving to his left to deny a penalty kick by Bruno Guimarães in the 14th minute. He also blocked a late shot from Brazilian forward Endrick as Norway fought to maintain their advantage. The only goal Nyland conceded came in stoppage time via a penalty converted by Brazil captain Neymar, who confirmed this would be his last appearance for the national team.

Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion ranked fifth in the world, had been expected to progress further but saw their run end at the Round of 16 for the first time since 1990. The team’s streak of consecutive quarterfinal appearances ended at eight, continuing an ongoing trend of defeats to European opponents in World Cup knockout matches. Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti described the loss as “profoundly disappointing,” though he expressed resolve to use it as motivation moving forward.

Discussions arose over Brazil’s decision to have Guimarães take the early penalty instead of star forward Vinícius Júnior. Ancelotti explained that this choice was based on an extensive statistical analysis conducted over the year. Brazil also faced difficulties from injuries including the absence of midfielder Lucas Paquetá.

Norway, who came into the tournament ranked 21st by FIFA and had not qualified since 1998, has emerged as one of the surprise teams of the World Cup. Their men’s team had never advanced past the Round of 16 before Sunday’s win. Norway’s coach Solbakken noted the significance of the victory, suggesting the nation may be forever changed by this achievement. Fans performed the now-famous “Viking Row” celebration during the game, creating a vibrant atmosphere despite being heavily outnumbered by Brazilian supporters.

Norway will face the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal match between England and Mexico, scheduled for Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. The game marked a milestone for Norwegian soccer and spotlighted Haaland’s rise as one of the sport’s premier talents on the global stage.