Norway Eliminates Côte d'Ivoire, Final Match Stats, Highlights & Updated World Cup 2026 Bracket

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Erling Haaland powered Norway to a 2-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire in the 2026 World Cup with a goal in the 86th minute at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The match couldn't have been split more evenly. Côte d'Ivoire had 48 percent of possession to 45 percent for Norway and put just one more shot on target.

The Ivorians didn't have a finisher as good as Haaland leading the line, and that proved to be the difference.

Antonio Nusa provided the opener in the 39th minute. The RB Leipzig attacker got the ball to the left of the 18-yard box. He cut to his right and curled a shot inside the far post, leaving Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana with no chance to make the save.

Norway was unable to press its advantage. In the 66th minute, Torbjørn Heggem had a volley cleared off the line from a corner kick. Amad Diallo was in the perfect spot to deny the chance and keep Côte d'Ivoire within a goal.

Just eight minutes later, Amad made his presence felt at the other end of the pitch. He weaved through the Norwegian defense and scored from close range to level the match.

Two knockout matches have gone to extra time already, and it looked like 30 more minutes would be required in Tuesday's first fixture.

Instead, Haaland demonstrated part of what makes him so special. He didn't register an impact for the bulk of the match and finished with 27 total touches, per ESPN.com.

The Manchester City star was right where he needed to be for the winner, though. It didn't even matter he failed to strike the ball cleanly. He got enough of a touch, and physics did the rest.

Norway hasn't reached the round of 16 in the World Cup since 1998, the last time it qualified for the tournament.

A matchup with five-time champion Brazil awaits.

The Brazilians labored to a 2-1 win over Japan in the previous round, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring the winner in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. They boast plenty of talent, and coach Carlo Ancelotti is a master of winning knockout tournaments at the club level.

Still, this is far from a vintage Brazil side. Ancelotti's squad could be there for the taking.