DALLAS:
Erling Holland’s decisive last-minute goal helped Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in a thriller to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
At the start of the match, Ivory Coast played aggressively and made several dangerous attacks, but Norway’s defense thwarted each attempt.
In the 39th minute of the first half, Antonio Noosa scored a beautiful goal on Martin Odegaard’s beautiful pass and Norway advanced.
Ivory Coast made a strong comeback in the second half. Substitute Amad Diallo changed the direction of the game after 60 minutes and after a nice one-two play with Nicolas Pepe scored a nice goal and the match was tied at 1-1.
With the match seemingly heading for extra time, in the 86th minute, Patrik Berg headed Oskar Bob’s pass past Erling Holland, after which the Manchester City star slotted the ball into the empty net to put Norway ahead.
In the final moments, Ivory Coast had a chance to equalize with a free kick, but Norwegian goalkeeper Orian Nyland made a brilliant save for his team’s victory.
With the win, Norway qualified for the knockout stages and Erling Holland once again played the role of his team’s savior, scoring his fifth goal of the tournament.
Now in the pre-quarterfinals, Norway will have a tough test against Brazil, which the fans are eagerly waiting for.
