Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway: A cold lesson in ruthlessness from Haaland ends Elephants' historic World Cup 2026 run

Ivory Coast produced an attractive, attacking show but lacked the cutting borderline successful the last 3rd and were eliminated by a much objective Norway broadside (1-2) connected Tuesday evening astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, successful the archetypal World Cup knockout lucifer of their history.

The youngest broadside astatine this World Cup and appearing astatine this signifier of the contention for the archetypal time, Ivory Coast suffered the benignant of elimination that ever felt possible: that of a somewhat naive squad against an hostile who was not needfully superior connected the day.

Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway: What happened?

This last-32 necktie was, connected the whole, the tightest of those played truthful far. After a cagey opening period, Ivory Coast gradually grew into the game. The Elephants opted for a slick, diligent build-up from the backmost and accumulated accidental aft accidental successful the Norwegian half. However, the penultimate and last actions consistently fto them down, with the 2024 African champions lacking beingness wrong the box. Most of their crosses were either blocked oregon recovered nary takers, leaving them with small to amusement beyond a precocious country number of 14 successful total.

?? Norway person qualified for the Round of 16!#FIFAWorldCup

At the different end, Norway delivered a acquisition successful ruthlessness. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring earlier half-time with a beautifully curled finish, having beaten Nicolas Pepe connected the visitors' archetypal existent accidental of the match. In a 2nd fractional that started astatine a slower tempo, Pepe was denied by Nyland connected what had been Ivory Coast's champion accidental of the contention up to that point.

Substitute Amad Diallo past appeared to person stepped into the relation of saviour, archetypal clearing disconnected the enactment to contradict what would person been a 2nd Norwegian goal, past levelling matters with a superb slalom tally aft the 2nd cooling break. That extremity revived Ivorian hopes, but they had not reckoned with Haaland, who restored a decisive Scandinavian pb conscionable minutes later. Diallo thought helium had equalised erstwhile much from a escaped footwear successful stoppage time, lone to beryllium denied by a important prevention from Nyland.

Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway: The cardinal constituent — Haaland, Norway's lethal weapon

Relatively quiescent for overmuch of the lucifer by his standards, with conscionable 27 touches, Erling Haaland nevertheless recovered a mode to beryllium decisive, netting his 5th extremity of this World Cup and serving arsenic a reminder that helium remains, supra all, a lethal menace wrong the absorption box.

Norway propulsion done to the adjacent round! ⏭️#FIFAWorldCup

With an unorthodox decorativeness successful his trademark style, arriving astatine the backmost station to person a superb Bobb-Berge move, the Manchester City striker handed his broadside triumph successful the 86th infinitesimal and present sits conscionable 1 extremity down Lionel Messi successful the contention for the Golden Boot.

What happens next: Norway look Brazil

Thanks to this hard-fought win, Norway volition play conscionable the 3rd last-16 lucifer of their history. The fixture takes spot connected Sunday astatine 9pm BST against Brazil astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford. The Scandinavians volition person 1 less time of remainder than the Selecao, who besides progressed by the narrowest of margins connected Monday with a 2-1 triumph implicit Japan, but Norway volition beryllium relieved to person avoided the other clip that had looked likely.

For Ivory Coast, this exit volition beryllium felt arsenic a missed opportunity, but the broadside volition besides instrumentality immense pridefulness from this historical tally and the prime of shot produced on the way.