Haaland double sinks Brazil, Norway reach historic World Cup quarter-finals

Erling Haaland scored twice in the final 11 minutes as Norway stunned five-time champions Brazil 2-0 on Sunday to reach the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the nation’s history, while extending their remarkable unbeaten record against the South American giants.

Brazil entered the Round of 16 clash as favourites but failed to convert their dominance into goals in front of more than 80,000 spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Their best opportunity came in the first half when Bruno Guimarães stepped up to take a penalty, only for Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland to produce a superb save that kept the contest level.

Norway remained organised throughout and patiently waited for opportunities on the counterattack.

Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 79th minute when Haaland rose above Brazil’s defence to head home from a well-delivered cross, silencing the largely Brazilian crowd.

As Brazil pushed forward desperately in search of an equaliser, they left space at the back, and Haaland punished them again deep into stoppage time.

The Manchester City striker raced onto a through ball before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper to seal one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 World Cup.

The victory sends Ståle Solbakken’s side into the quarter-finals, where Norway will face the winner of the Round of 16 match between Mexico and England.

It also preserves Norway’s extraordinary record against Brazil.

In five meetings between the two nations, Norway have never been beaten, recording three victories and two draws.

The head-to-head history began with a 1-1 friendly draw in 1997 before Norway famously defeated Brazil 2-1 during the group stage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

The teams later drew 2-2 in a 2000 friendly and 1-1 in Oslo in 2006.

Sunday’s triumph added another memorable chapter, leaving Brazil still searching for their first-ever victory over the Norwegians.

Brazil, the defeat represents another painful World Cup disappointment. It also marks the Seleção's first-ever elimination at the Round of 16 stage.

Before the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2026, Brazil had never exited at this phase, with previous eliminations coming in the group stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals or the final.

Haaland’s performance further strengthened his growing reputation on football's biggest stage.

His two goals took his tournament tally to seven and confirmed his status as one of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot.

More importantly, the brace carried Norway into the last eight for the first time and established Haaland as the architect of the greatest achievement in the country’s World Cup history.

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