ARLINGTON, TX — It was a quiet sport for .
His outstanding scoring streak in official matches with the nationwide workforce seemed set to be snapped at a dozen contests. discovered a objective elsewhere, however conceding to the within the 74th minute meant they’d want one other objective. There was no query who it could come from.
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“I believe he’s the best goalscorer on this planet. I believe there’s little question about that,” Norway supervisor Ståle Solbakken mentioned. “Right now he wasn’t that concerned, however all the time for those who get that likelihood, he scored the successful objective once more. That’s his output for the nationwide workforce. He brings calmness to the workforce when you’ve got a participant like him.”
After a delicate begin, Haaland roared, tapping in a go from within the 86th minute to over Les Elephants. Dallas Stadium roared again, , with nearly all of the 69,000-plus followers within the venue Tuesday wearing crimson.
What number of of them traveled from Norway and what number of had been neutrals received over by Haaland’s brilliance and a narrative that has captivated hearts throughout the nation isn’t clear. What is obvious is this can be a excessive level for Norwegian soccer.
It may go even larger. Norway now heads right into a , with echoes of the workforce’s earlier prime second, a bunch stage win over Brazil in 1998 when Solbakken mentioned the soccer was “extra bodily” and fewer in regards to the flowing attacking play Norway can now placed on the sector, not simply with Haaland and Martin Ødegaard however with , Alexander Sørloth and .
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However, for now, Norway doesn’t need to take into consideration any of that.
“I believe what we’re going to consider now could be to benefit from the win at the moment, to be actually joyful and happy with ourselves,” Ødegaard mentioned after the match.
What is going to that seem like? Quite than getting out in town, heart again mentioned it will likely be a much more low-key celebration on the workforce’s base camp in North Carolina. “We’re going to go to the resort, eat a superb meal and we’re fortunate sufficient to have a pool within the resort so we’re going to spend a while in there collectively.”
There’s a lot to get pleasure from, even when it’s simply hijinks with pool noodles.
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast and Norway face off within the FIFA World Cup Spherical of 32 at AT&T Stadium.
Pictured right here, Ivory Coast’s defender #17 Guela Doue (L) combat for the ball Norway’s midfielder #20 Antonio Nusa through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(ARIC BECKER, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast and Norway face off within the FIFA World Cup Spherical of 32 at AT&T Stadium.
Pictured right here, Ivory Coast’s defender #17 Guela Doue (L) combat for the ball Norway’s midfielder #20 Antonio Nusa through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(ARIC BECKER, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast, making its first-ever knockout-stage look, superior as Group C runner-up.
Pictured right here, Ivory Coast’s ahead #09 Ange-Yoan Bonny (L) fights for the ball with Norway’s defender #03 Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(PAUL ELLIS, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Norway reached the knockout rounds behind the scoring of Erling Haaland, pictured right here at AT&T Stadium forward of the sport towards Ivory Coast. The winner will advance to face Brazil within the Spherical of 16.
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast’s ahead #19 Nicolas Pepe (L) fights for the ball with Norway’s defender #05 David Moller Wolfe through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(PAUL ELLIS, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Yan Diomande #11 of Cote d’Ivoire heads the ball towards Marcus Holmgren Pedersen #16 of Norway through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Spherical Of 32 match between Cote d’Ivoire and Norway at Dallas Stadium on June 30, 2026 in Arlington, Texas.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast’s ahead #19 Nicolas Pepe (R) fights for the ball with Norway’s defender #05 David Moller Wolfe (C) through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(PAUL ELLIS, AFP through Getty Pictures)
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Ivory Coast and Norway face off in World Cup – see the motion
Ivory Coast’s midfielder #18 Ibrahim Sangare (C) fights for the ball with Norway’s ahead #07 Alexander Sorloth (R) through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway on the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 30, 2026.
(ARIC BECKER, AFP through Getty Pictures)
That is the primary time Norway ever has received a knockout match, one thing not misplaced on this era of gamers, lots of whom grew up listening to in regards to the ’98 workforce’s achievements however by no means seeing Norway have success first-hand.
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“To undergo to a different spherical is unbelievable,” Ødegaard mentioned. “Brazil goes to be a tricky sport, however in soccer all the things is feasible, however we’re going to offer it a superb strive.
“Hopefully we are able to hold dreaming and hold believing and hold like we did, however let’s put together nicely and benefit from the second.”
The goals of Norway appear to sit down on the ft of Haaland. Any time a participant can produce a objective from nothing like he does, from the smallest likelihood, from a close-down solely he has the velocity and physicality to drag off, from being prepared for the ball to return to him within the goalmouth as he did Tuesday, it’s a nice equalizer in soccer.
“I’m very joyful he’s Norwegian,” Ajer mentioned. “It’s good he retains scoring.”
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It actually is. Fairly merely, if he’s quiet for a complete match, Norway’s goals can be dashed. If he roars once more towards Brazil, who is aware of simply how lengthy Norway’s Vikings can proceed marauding their approach by way of the World Cup area.
For now, they’re content material to benefit from the plunder of a primary win with a splash within the pool and an evening resting nicely within the information that maybe the best scorer on this planet, one who is never saved quiet, is from their small nation.