Norway's Erling Haaland has made history by guiding his team into the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time. The 25-year-old striker scored a late brace to eliminate five-time champions Brazil from the tournament.
Haaland described the achievement as “one of the most insane days in Norwegian history,” highlighting his status as arguably the country's greatest footballer. During the match, Haaland had limited involvement until a second-half hydration break, when coach Stale Solbakken encouraged him to "drain his energy and go for it."
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Haaland's ability to seize decisive moments, stating, “You can defend perfectly against him for 89 minutes, but football is decided by moments, and [Haaland] is probably the best in the world at recognising those moments.”
Norway will face England next, who secured their quarterfinal spot with a 3-2 victory over co-host Mexico at Estadio Azteca. Meanwhile, other tournament highlights include Kylian Mbappe drawing level with Lionel Messi as France defeated Paraguay to set up a match against Morocco.
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