Erling Haaland rescued Norway from the brink of extra time with a ruthless 86th-minute strike to seal a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast at Dallas Stadium. The late finish secured a historic knockout success for the Scandinavian side, marking their first-ever win in the elimination stages of a World Cup. They survived a fierce second-half rally to stay alive.
Norway took control early on. Antonio Nusa broke the deadlock in the 39th minute with a clean finish that put his team ahead going into the break. Ivory Coast was making their own debut in the knockout rounds under manager Emerse Fae, and they refused to go quietly. Substitute Amad Diallo leveled the match in the 74th minute. The equalizer completely scrambled the momentum.
Just as the game looked guaranteed for another 30 minutes, Haaland found the net. His fifth goal of the tournament ended the Ivorian run. The striker joins an exclusive list of legends—Gerd Muller, Eusebio, and Just Fontaine—as the only players to score in their first three World Cup matches.
The win sets up a heavyweight clash. Norway travels to New York on Sunday for a showdown against Brazil in the Round of 16. For Ivory Coast, the exit closes out a highly praised revival campaign.