Norway booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in their Round of 32 clash at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Antonio Nusa's stunning first-half strike gave Norway the advantage before substitute Amad Diallo brought the Elephants level after the break. Erling Haaland then delivered the decisive blow with four minutes of normal time remaining, sending the Scandinavian side into the last 16.
Both teams struggled to create clear openings during a cagey opening half-hour before Norway found the breakthrough in spectacular fashion in the 39th minute. Nusa collected the ball on the left wing, slipped past his marker and curled an unstoppable effort into the top-right corner to hand his side the lead.
Ivory Coast emerged with greater attacking intent after the restart, with coach Emerse Faé introducing Amad Diallo and Elye Wahi just before the hour mark. Norway responded by replacing Nusa and Alexander Sørloth with Andreas Schjelderup and Oscar Bobb in the 70th minute as they looked to match the increasing intensity.
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The tactical changes paid off for Ivory Coast within four minutes as The Elephants drew level. Diallo combined neatly with Nicolas Pépé before weaving his way into the penalty area and firing a powerful shot past Ørjan Nyland to restore parity and swing the momentum in the Elephants' favour.
Norway, however, regained control in the closing stages and restored their lead in the 86th minute. Haaland had been kept quiet for much of the contest, but the 25-year-old delivered when it mattered most, converting Patrick Berg's pass from close range to score his fifth goal of the tournament and seal Norway's place in the Round of 16.
Ivory Coast threw on Oumar Diakité before introducing Evann Guessand and Bazoumana Touré in stoppage time, but Norway held firm to secure victory.
The defeat brought an end to Ivory Coast's historic World Cup campaign after the Elephants reached the knockout stage for the first time, while Haaland's latest strike kept him firmly in contention for the Golden Boot, just one goal behind Lionel Messi who has six.
Norway will next face five-time champions Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 on July 5.
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