Norway defeated Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 on Tuesday in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup [1, 3].
The victory marks a historic milestone for the Norwegian national team, securing their first knockout-stage win and first appearance in the last 16 since 1998 [9].
The match took place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas [3]. The contest remained tense until the closing minutes when Erling Haaland scored the winning goal in the 86th minute [4], assisted by Patrick Berg [1].
Haaland's performance continued his dominant form in the tournament. The strike was his fifth goal of the competition [5]. Additionally, the goal brought his total international tally to 60 goals in 53 appearances [6, 7].
With this achievement, Haaland broke the record previously held by Ferenc Puskás for the fewest appearances required to reach 60 international goals [8].
Norway now advances to the Round of 16, where they are scheduled to face Brazil [10].
“Norway's first appearance in the last 16 since 1998”
Norway's progression to the Round of 16 ends a nearly three-decade drought in World Cup knockout success. By breaking a long-standing record held by Ferenc Puskás, Erling Haaland has cemented his status as one of the most efficient scorers in the history of international football, providing Norway with a level of offensive potency that makes them a dangerous underdog heading into their clash with Brazil.
