Norway booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 after defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 in an entertaining Round of 32 clash at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Scandinavian side took the lead in the 39th minute through Antonio Nusa, who produced a brilliant solo effort by cutting inside from the left before curling an unstoppable shot into the far corner. The goal capped a dominant first-half display from Norway, who controlled possession and created the better chances.

Ivory Coast responded strongly after the break and found a deserved equaliser in the 74th minute. Substitute Amad Diallo combined neatly with Nicolas Pépé before firing a powerful strike past Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland to restore parity and ignite hopes of another memorable comeback.

However, Norway had the final say. In the 86th minute, Patrick Berg delivered a dangerous low cross into the penalty area, where Erling Haaland was perfectly positioned to tap home the winner. The goal was Haaland’s 60th in international football, sealing Norway’s place in the next round.

Ivory Coast fought until the final whistle but could not find another breakthrough, bringing an end to a historic campaign that saw the Elephants reach the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Norway’s victory sets up a mouth-watering Round of 16 showdown against five-time world champions Brazil, who came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in their own Round of 32 encounter.

Despite the defeat, Ivory Coast leave the tournament with plenty of positives after becoming one of Africa’s standout performers and reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s World Cup history.

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