Almost three decades after their last World Cup, Norway just won its first knockout game in history. Momentous, but not pretty.Ivory Coast had more shots, more corners, and controlled the ball for long stretches. But Antonio Nusa bent in a beauty right in the top corner, Erling Haaland did Erling Haaland things, and Ørjan Nyland slammed the door in stoppage time.Style points? Not too many. A place in the Round of 16 against Brazil? Secured.Here are my takeaways from Norway’s 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast:1. Norway Is the Real Deal. Believe the Dark Horse. (Photo by Steph Chambers – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) Don’t you dare treat Norway like a fluke. Their World Cup qualification statistics were bordering on legendary. They have Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, two of the tournament’s best players, and a team around them that keeps finding ways to win. First World Cup since 1998, and they breezed through the group with victories over Iraq and Senegal.Yes, they lost 4-1 to France. Don’t read much into that one. Ståle Solbakken made wholesale changes and rested ten starters, including Haaland and Ødegaard, as qualification was already locked. The B-team took a beating. The A-team is humming.Now they have their first knockout win ever and a date with Brazil. This isn’t a Cinderella story. It’s a genuinely good side that happens to have a generational striker up top. Underestimate them at your peril.2. The Tactical Tightrope: Norway Won Ugly, and That’s Just Fine. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images) This was not the Norwegian masterclass we’ve seen so often over the last year. Ivory Coast piled up 14 corners to Norway’s three and outshot them, camping in the Norwegian half for long spells. So how did Norway win? Ruthlessness, individual quality, and a clutch goalkeeper.Antonio Nusa curled in a gem from the left. Patrick Berg buzzed all over midfield and teed up the winner. Martin Ødegaard pulled the strings and took the set pieces. Then there was Haaland: barely a touch for an hour, then one clinical left-footed flick to win it. That’s a striker who doesn’t need the ball to hurt you. As Zlatan Ibrahimović said on air: Haaland needs one touch to score one goal.Erling Haaland Delivers Late Go-Ahead Goal for Norway Against Ivory Coast | 2026 FIFA World Cup Meanwhile, Alexander Sørloth still hasn’t hit form, spurning chances and having a tough time sharing room with Haaland. And when Ivory Coast loaded up a stoppage-time free…
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2026-06-30 20:33:33
