Haaland’s late double sends Norway past Brazil 2-1 into World Cup quarterfinals

Erling Haaland scored twice in the final 11 minutes Sunday as Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup round of 16, sending the Norwegians to the men’s quarterfinals for the first time and handing Brazil its earliest tournament exit since 1990.

The result at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 tournament. Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, had reached at least the quarterfinals at every World Cup from 1994 through 2022. That run ended against a Norway team that had never before won a men’s World Cup knockout match.

Norway stayed alive early when goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland saved a first-half penalty, a pivotal moment in a match that remained scoreless deep into the second half. Haaland broke through in the 79th minute to put Norway ahead, then struck again in the 90th to make it 2-0 and put the upset within reach.

Brazil pulled one goal back when Neymar converted a penalty deep in stoppage time, but there was no time left for an equalizer.

The victory pushed Norway beyond its previous best finish at a men’s World Cup, a round-of-16 appearance in 1998. This time, Norway not only matched that run but surpassed it, reaching the last eight for the first time in the country’s history.

For Brazil, the loss marked a rare early departure on the sport’s biggest stage. The five-time champions had not gone out before the quarterfinals since 1990, underlining the scale of Norway’s achievement. Brazil entered the match as the far more decorated side and one of the tournament’s established powers, while Norway came in with a far thinner World Cup record.

The result also continued an unusual trend in the teams’ head-to-head history: Brazil had never beaten Norway in a senior men’s international before Sunday’s meeting.

Norway now advances to face the winner of England vs. Mexico in the quarterfinals.

Haaland’s late double also carried an individual milestone. His two goals gave him seven in the tournament, tying Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, according to Sportsnet.