Erling Haaland Scores Twice to Send Brazil Home, Norway Reaches World Cup Quarterfinals

Erling Haaland delivered a stunning performance in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil, scoring two goals to secure a 2-0 victory for Norway. This win marks Norway's first-ever advancement to the World Cup quarterfinals. Haaland's brace brings his remarkable streak to 27 goals in his last 14 international matches, including seven goals in the first four games of this tournament. Alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, Haaland is one of three players to have scored seven goals each in a single World Cup, a first in the tournament's history.

Haaland is the first player since James Rodríguez in 2014 to score in each of his first four World Cup matches and the first European to do so since Christian Vieri in 2018. Brazil, the record five-time World Cup champions, suffered a significant setback by being eliminated before the quarterfinals for the first time since 1990. This loss extends Brazil's World Cup title drought to at least 28 years, surpassing their previous longest gap of 24 years.

Historically, Brazil has struggled against European teams in knockout stages, losing seven consecutive matches to teams from the same confederation. Norway remains the only nation never defeated by Brazil, having won three of their five encounters and drawn two. Brazil also missed a penalty for the first time in 40 years during this match, with Bruno Guimarães failing to convert. Neymar, who came on as a substitute and scored a late penalty, surpassed Pelé in World Cup appearances but could not change the outcome.

Norway will face either host nation Mexico or England in the quarterfinals, setting up another high-profile clash. Haaland's extraordinary form and Norway's historic run have become the tournament's standout story, while Brazil faces a prolonged wait to reclaim World Cup glory.