Erling Haaland proved decisive for Norway, scoring late to seal a tense World Cup victory over Ivory Coast and book a meeting with Brazil in the round of 16.
The Manchester City forward had spent most of the contest on the edge of the action, with Norway relying on moments of quality rather than sustained control. Antonio Nusa provided the breakthrough in the 39th minute, drifting in from the left before bending a superb finish into the top corner after being found by captain Martin Odegaard.
Ivory Coast had started cautiously, with Emerse Fae choosing a compact 4 1 4 1 shape and leaving Amad Diallo on the bench. That decision looked costly as the African side struggled for attacking rhythm before the interval.
Amad changed the mood after coming on. The Manchester United winger first rescued his team with a vital goal line clearance from Torbjorn Heggem, then levelled in the 74th minute with a brilliant individual strike, cutting inside from the right and beating Orjan Nyland with a composed finish.
The equaliser seemed to have taken the match towards extra time, but Haaland had the final word. In the 86th minute, Patrick Berg delivered a low ball across the area and the Norway striker reacted quickest from close range to force in the winner.
The goal extended Haaland’s scoring run to 13 consecutive competitive internationals and took his tournament tally to five goals in three matches.
Amad almost rescued Ivory Coast again with a late free kick, but Nyland pushed it away to protect Norway’s lead.
It was Ivory Coast’s first World Cup knockout appearance, while Norway were at this stage for the first time in 28 years. Now, Haaland and company move on to a major test against Brazil, who reached the next round after beating Japan.
