Erling Haaland described it as an “unbelievable” moment after firing Norway to their first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout victory, with a dramatic 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire setting up a blockbuster last-16 clash against Brazil.
The Manchester City striker struck the winner in the 86th minute at Dallas Stadium, capping another decisive performance after Antonio Nusa’s opener had been cancelled out by Amad Diallo midway through the second half.
Speaking after the match, Haaland reflected on what has already become a landmark tournament for Norway.
“It’s history, it feels unbelievable,” he said.
“We managed to qualify for the first time in 28 years, we managed to go through the group stage and now we’ve managed to go through to the next round and meet Brazil in New York.
“It’s incredible, so now everything is a bonus. Now we can play with our shoulders down and just enjoy it because I don’t think we’ll ever have this feeling again.”
Norway had looked set for extra time after Diallo levelled in the 74th minute, but Haaland once again delivered when it mattered most, continuing the clinical finishing that has defined both his club and international career.
Midfielder Patrick Berg said Haaland’s ability to stay patient before producing a decisive moment makes him one of the world’s elite forwards.
“That’s the thing about him,” Berg said.
“He can sit and wait the whole game, and when the moment is there, he’s always at the right place at the right time. He’s a top, top striker, and we’re really happy to have him in our team.”
Berg admitted the winning goal triggered an outpouring of emotions after a hard-fought contest against a resilient Ivorian side.
“I was feeling everything at the same time. All the emotions. I’m really pleased to see him score yet another goal for us. And I think it was deserved in the end that we go through.”
He also praised Côte d’Ivoire for pushing Norway all the way.
“Côte d’Ivoire is a great team. They made it really difficult for us throughout the whole game. They have some top, top players, so I think they deserve a lot of credit today. But we’ve been working hard for many years now. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and now we keep going.”
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken felt the match could easily have swung either way but credited his players for finishing strongly when the pressure peaked.
“I think it was a very even game,” Solbakken said.
“These are two good teams and it could have gone both ways, but we finished off the game strongly today and managed to come back after the 1-1. They had a good free kick towards the end, and situations in which they could have scored, but all in all, I think maybe we were a little bit better than them, but praise for Côte d’Ivoire, who played a very good game.
“It’s the first time for Norway that we’ve won in the knockout rounds, so we have to take that on board. Now we can rest a little bit and prepare for Brazil.”
Norway will now head to New York to face Brazil, with confidence soaring after achieving another milestone in what is already their best World Cup campaign in history.
