*Haaland now on seven goals, same as Mbappe and Messi
Norway, on Sunday, qualified for the Quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament.
Its top striker, Erling Haaland, scored two goals in the 79th and 90th minutes to send the Samba boys out of the Mundial.
The match was played at New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, the United States (U.S.).
Neymar scored for Brazil through a penalty in the 90+10th minute but that was not enough as Haaland’s goals bundled and blew away the five-time champion out of the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil were champions in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
It was another unsuccessful title chase by Brazil, 24 years after they last won it.
The Norwegian victory is one of the greatest shocks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Scandinavian country booked a historic place in the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals for the first time in the nation’s history.
The Norwegians outplayed a Brazilian side featuring Vinícius Júnior and Neymar, controlling the contest with discipline, tactical maturity and clinical finishing. Brazil was reduced to chasing the game throughout the second half before finally pulling one back through a Neymar penalty in the 90+10th minute, but it proved too little, too late.
For many football fans, the Brazil of Pelé, Zico, Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, and Cafu now feels increasingly like a cherished memory rather than the dominant force it once was.
The Seleção, once feared as the benchmark of attacking football, has struggled to recapture the magic that made it the most decorated nation in World Cup history. Against Norway, they looked a shadow of their former selves, unable to match the energy, organisation and belief of a Norwegian team that seized its moment on the world’s biggest stage.
While Brazil heads home searching for answers, Norway celebrates the greatest victory in its football history and marches confidently into the quarterfinals behind the brilliance of Erling Haaland.
Haaland, Manchester City’s top striker, is now on seven goals, same as Mbappe and Messi.
