"Vikings hunt the Canaries!": Erling Haaland's brace sends Brazil crashing out of the World Cup, while Norway makes more history

Norway has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history and will face England. (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, License Details) 

Norway's fairytale run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has taken another step towards history. The Scandinavian giants advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in history after a stunning 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil at MetLife Stadium, with Erling Haaland scoring a brace to become the World Cup's joint top scorer.

This result will be remembered as one of the greatest in Norwegian football history. Faced with a Brazilian side still full of elite talent and coached by the experienced Carlos Ancelotti, Stale Solbakken's team tactically outclassed the Italian and demonstrated incredible resilience.

To everyone's surprise, Norway maintained far more possession than Brazil, but they initially failed to pose a significant threat up front. However, they took advantage of an early error by Kristoffer Ajer, who recklessly brought down Matheus Cunha inside the box as Bruno Guimaraes stepped up to take the penalty, but Orjan Nyland made an incredible save to deny Brazil any early momentum in the game.

Nyland proved to be a hero for Norway, making brilliant saves as Brazil came close to scoring. Despite not dominating possession, the Selecao remained compact and waited for the right moment to initiate press and hurt Norway in transitions.

On each occasion, the Norwegian keeper stood tall. Carlo Ancelotti introduced Endrick from the bench in the second half, and he nearly made a huge impact when he went one-on-one with Nyland, who was served on a platter by the town's common folk. His shot was horribly wide.

The second half was a balanced game between two teams who both wanted to advance to the next round. Solbakken introduced Andreas Schjelderup in the second half, and his impact was immediate. Martin Ødegaard's deep pivot role helped Norway maintain possession and a compact defensive shape.

Norway scored just as the game appeared to be heading for overtime. In the 79th minute, substitute Schjelderup delivered a teasing cross into the penalty area. Haaland rose above Gabriel Magalhães to power a towering header beyond a helpless Alisson.

This goal stunned the five-time champions, who continued to throw everything forward in search of an equaliser. In the 90th minute, super sub Schjelderup found Erling Haaland just outside the box, who drilled a precise shot past Allison.

Haaland's brace, his seventh goal of the tournament, moved him closer to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race. Brazil eventually received a small lifeline when they were awarded a late penalty, which was calmly scored by Neymar Junior. It remained a consolation, but the Brazil team had a lot of problems at its core.

For Brazil, this defeat adds to the dark chapter in their long quest for a sixth World Cup title. Despite having the better chances, they were punished for their missed opportunities, as well as Nyland and Haaland's individual brilliance. This loss marked the Selecao's first World Cup exit since 1990, and Carlo Ancelotti and his team are now under fire.

However, for Norway, this victory means everything because it is the most important moment in their football history. This is their first World Cup quarter-final appearance, and it's quite a fairytale story for a team that hasn't been here in 28 years.

Norway will now face England in the quarterfinals, full of confidence that they will make more history. The Vikings demonstrated that they did not just come as underdogs to compete, but to win. Solbakken's team is a genuine contender, especially after eliminating Brazil, and no one will ever underestimate their team or tactical prowess.