▲ Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring a goal during the Round of 32 match at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on the 30th (local time).
Norway has advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America after defeating Ivory Coast.
Norway secured a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 match held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Star striker Erling Haaland led the team to the Round of 16 by scoring the winning goal.
Having reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years since the 1998 France tournament, Norway has now matched its previous best performance by reaching the Round of 16.
In the 1998 tournament, 32 nations participated, and teams advanced to the Round of 16 by passing the group stage.
In this year's tournament, which features 48 teams, Norway finished second in Group I with a record of two wins and one loss—defeating Iraq and Senegal while losing to France—to reach the Round of 32. By winning this single-elimination match, they have tied their best-ever finish in the World Cup finals.
Norway is set to face the "Samba Army" of Brazil in the Round of 16 on July 6.
Ivory Coast, which returned to the World Cup stage for the first time in 12 years after group stage exits in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, and Brazil 2014, saw its tournament run end in the first knockout round.
Norway took the lead in the 39th minute with a goal from Antonio Nusa, but conceded an equalizer to Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo in the 74th minute.
However, with the score tied at 1-1, Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute after receiving a pass from Berg.
Haaland recorded his fifth goal of the tournament, continuing his pursuit of the Golden Boot against competitors such as Lionel Messi (Argentina, 6 goals).
Haaland, who scored two goals in the opening group match against Iraq and another brace in the second match against Senegal, returned to the pitch to find the net again after sitting out the final group stage match against France.
He has scored in all three matches he has played in this tournament.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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