Erling Haaland nabbed a fortunate late goal, while Orjan Nyland denied Amad Diallo’s last-gasp free-kick as Norway narrowly edged out a hapless Ivory Coast 2-1 to progress to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
Antonio Nusa’s first-half strike at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday was cancelled out in the second half by substitute Diallo.
However, Haaland, whose thigh made a fortunate touch deep into the final minutes, sealed victory for Norway to set up an exciting Round of 16 clash against Brazil on Sunday, July 5, at MetLife Stadium.
It was Cote d’Ivoire who undoubtedly created the better opportunities in the opening half, producing several clear-cut chances, but luck was not on their side as the resolute Norwegian defence stood firm.
Norway also had their moments and eventually made one count in the 39th minute. Nusa collected the ball on the left side of the penalty area after being brilliantly picked out by Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
He created space for himself before curling a magnificent finish into the top corner beyond Yahia Fofana to break the deadlock.
After that goal, the momentum shifted in Norway’s favour, and they came close to doubling their advantage. Haaland was first presented with a golden opportunity after Alexander Sorloth nodded the ball into his path, but Ibrahim Sangare produced a superb block to deny him.
From the resulting corner, Sorloth timed his run perfectly but failed to direct his header on target, while Haaland almost reached the loose ball at the back post.
Right from the start of the second half, Ivory Coast dominated possession in Norway’s final third as they searched relentlessly for an equaliser. Their persistence eventually paid off in the 74th minute through substitute Diallo.
The Manchester United winger exchanged a neat one-two with Nicolas Pepe before driving towards goal, cutting inside his markers and calmly placing a left-footed finish into the far corner beyond Nyland.
However, before the African supporters had fully celebrated, Norway reclaimed the lead just 12 minutes later.
Haaland, who had been relatively quiet throughout the match, bundled the ball over the line after Oscar Bobb released Patrick Berg down the right channel. Berg squared an inviting pass across goal, and Haaland did just enough to guide it into the net.
It looked more like a miscontrol than a shot, but the Norwegian striker certainly did not mind as he scored in his 13th consecutive competitive international match.
The seven minutes of added time saw Ivory Coast throw everything forward, camping inside Norway’s final third in search of another equaliser.
Despite their relentless pressure, they failed to find a breakthrough as Norway held on to secure a famous victory.
The Norwegians, making their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, advanced to the Round of 16 while eliminating Ivory Coast, who became the second of the nine African representatives in Round of 32 to exit the tournament after South Africa.
Ivory Coast vs Norway – 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 Lineups (June 30, 2026)
- Norway Starting XI: Orjan Nyland, Torbjørn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe, Marcus Pedersen, Kristoffer Ajer, Martin Odegaard, Patrick Berg, Sander Berge, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland.
- Ivory Coast Starting XI: Yahia Fofana, Ghislain Konan, Emmanuel Agbadou, Odilon Kossounou, Guéla Doue, Ibrahim Sangaré, Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie, Christ Inao Oulaï, Yan Diomande, Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026