The dream of conquering the sixth World Cup title of the Brazilian team has ended in a bitter way when Selecao lost to Norway 1-2 in the round of 16. This is a match where Erling Haaland continues to prove the class of one of the best strikers in the world.
After a goalless first half, Haaland exploded in the last 45 minutes with a double to help Norway create a 2-0 advantage. The Manchester City striker opened the score with a header past Gabriel Magalhaes before completing a double with a cold-blooded finish that defeated Alisson Becker.
Neymar only managed to narrow the score from the penalty spot in injury time, not enough to help Brazil avoid defeat.
In fact, the match could have diễn biến in a completely different direction if Brazil had taken advantage of the opportunity in the first half. Matheus Cunha earned a penalty after fouling in the penalty area, but Bruno Guimaraes took a shot that was too weak, creating conditions for goalkeeper Orjan Nyland to save.
The turning point of the match came from the coaching bench.
Coach Stale Solbakken surprised by withdrawing Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa right at the beginning of the second half to bring Andreas Schjelderup and Oscar Bobb onto the field. These two changes immediately worked when Schjelderup made both assists for Haaland to score, while Bobb helped Norway control the two wings better.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's adjustments were not effective. Endrick was brought on but missed the opportunity to face the goalkeeper right after appearing and almost disappeared in the rest of the match. Neymar was also given a chance but only left his mark with a goal from the penalty spot.
Haaland continues to show his terrifying scoring ability. Although he only touched the ball about 30 times before the match entered injury time, the Norwegian striker still scored 2 decisive goals.
After this match, Haaland scored seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, equaling the achievement of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.
Notably, Norway has won 17 consecutive matches every time Haaland scores, showing the huge influence of the striker under contract with Man City.
In the opposite direction, the defeat to Norway extended Brazil's nightmare against European representatives at the World Cup. This is the sixth consecutive time Selecao has been eliminated by a European team in the knockout round, after defeats to France (2006), Netherlands (2010), Germany (2014), Belgium (2018), Croatia (2022) and now Norway.
Not only losing in score, Brazil was also inferior in terms of game. Ancelotti's team controlled the ball ineffectively, lacked attacking ideas and was often exploited by Norway in transitions.
The absence of Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha caused the Brazilian midfield to lose its connectivity, forcing Ancelotti to use an attack-oriented but unbalanced formation.
Although Vinicius Junior still created some chances, and Matheus Cunha continuously stirred up the opponent's defense, Selecao could not convert the advantage into a goal.
Conversely, Norway shows that they are a more cohesive team. With Martin Odegaard regulating the midfield, Schjelderup and Bobb creating breakthroughs after entering the field, and Haaland always knowing how to appear at the right time, the Northern European team deserves to qualify for the quarter-finals.
For Ancelotti, this is the first defeat but also the biggest shock since leading Brazil. The decision to appoint the Italian strategist was once expected to open a new era for Selecao, but the 2026 World Cup closed with disappointment.
While Norway will continue to nurture the dream of creating miracles with Haaland as the leader, Brazil once again has to enter the process of looking back at themselves after the World Cup missed the championship.
