Erling Haaland scored twice to knock five time champions Brazil out of the World Cup, inspiring Norway to a 2-1 win in the round of 16 at MetLife Stadium on 5 July that ranks among the greatest shocks in the tournament’s history.
Brazil and Norway had gone into the break level at 0-0 after an open, eventful first half featuring a missed penalty, a disallowed goal and chances at both ends. Norway thought they had taken an early lead when Patrick Berg fired home Alexander Sorloth’s cutback inside the opening three minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside against the striker in the build up after he was slipped in by Martin Odegaard. Brazil, wide open through midfield but dangerous on the counter, won a penalty in the 12th minute after Matheus Cunha was brought down by Kristoffer Ajer, but Bruno Guimaraes saw his stuttering spot kick saved comfortably by an outstanding Orjan Nyland, keeping the scores level. It was the first penalty miss by a Brazil player at a World Cup, outside of shootouts, since Zico against France in 1986.
Norway grew into the contest after the interval, introducing Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup for Sorloth and Antonio Nusa at half time to add greater dynamism and defensive cover. Nyland kept Brazil at bay throughout, denying Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius Junior in quick succession shortly after the restart, before Carlo Ancelotti turned to Endrick in the 58th minute, the substitute spurning a golden one on one chance moments after coming on.
The move paid off spectacularly for Norway. Haaland headed his side in front 11 minutes from time, rising above Gabriel Magalhaes to meet a superb Schjelderup cross, before doubling the lead in the 90th minute with a thunderous left footed drive from outside the box that flew past Alisson and into the bottom corner. The brace pulled Haaland level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot, and made him the first Norway player ever to score twice in a knockout match at a major tournament, as well as the first player to record multiple two goal hauls in a single edition of the World Cup for his country, having already done so against Senegal and Iraq earlier in the tournament. It also extended his scoring run to 14 consecutive competitive internationals, with 27 goals in that sequence, a streak stretching back to October 2024.
Brazil pulled a goal back in the 100th minute, Neymar converting from the spot after Leo Ostigard was penalised for an elbow on Casemiro, becoming only the second Brazilian after Pele to score at four different World Cups. It was not enough, however, to prevent Norway holding on for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
The result marks Brazil’s earliest World Cup exit since 1990, when they were eliminated by Argentina at the same stage, having reached at least the quarter finals in each of their previous eight editions. It also extends an unwanted pattern stretching back to their last triumph in 2002, having now lost to the first European side they have faced in the knockout stage in seven consecutive tournaments. Brazil have also failed to win any of their last four World Cup matches in which they were level at half time.
For Norway, the win represents their deepest ever run at a major tournament, reaching the quarter finals of a World Cup or European Championship for the first time in their history. It was also their third win in five meetings with Brazil, a fixture Brazil have never won across five attempts, the only nation against whom that remains the case. Norway will face the winner of Mexico’s meeting with England for a place in the semi finals on 11 July.
Ancelotti’s substitutions are likely to face scrutiny in the aftermath, with Endrick and Neymar both appearing off the pace after coming on, while the earlier withdrawal of both Guimaraes and Cunha, two of Brazil’s standout performers through the group stage, also drew criticism as the game slipped away. Norway’s changes, by contrast, proved decisive, with head coach Stale Solbakken’s tactical tweaks at the interval directly enabling both of Haaland’s goals.
Haaland himself had downplayed Norway’s chances of victory before kick off, but delivered almost single handedly on the biggest stage, touching the ball only five times in the entire first half before requiring just two involvements after the break to end Brazil’s World Cup dream and send Norway into entirely uncharted territory.
