Haaland inspires Norway to historic 2-1 shock win over Brazil, secures first-ever World Cup Quarter-final berth
New Jersey: Erling Haaland delivered a sensational performance as Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 to book a place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the nation’s history.
The match remained deadlocked at 0-0 throughout a tense first half, with goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland producing a crucial penalty save to deny Bruno Guimarães and keep Norway level. Haaland then took centre stage after the break, soaring above the Brazilian defence to head Norway in front in the 79th minute before sealing the famous victory with a clinical second goal on the stroke of full time.
Brazil mounted a frantic late comeback as they pushed numbers forward in search of a lifeline, but Norway’s disciplined defence held firm. Neymar pulled one back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, but the goal came too late to prevent Brazil’s exit. Norway will now face the winner of the Mexico versus England clash in the quarter-finals.
