EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brazil‘s hopes of a sixth World Cup were dashed by the hulking figure of Erling Haaland on a muggy Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
The big Norwegian popped up twice in the second half — first with a header after beating Gabriel Magalhães, and then with a daisy-cutter that eluded Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker — to give Stale Solbakken’s team an unassailable 2-0 lead, before a Neymar penalty in stoppage time halved the deficit to 2-1.
The game could have taken a very different turn in the first half, after Brazil forward Matheus Cunha won a penalty, but Norway‘s Ørjan Nyland saved Bruno Guimarães‘ weak effort.
Norway came out firing after the break, thanks to two big — and perhaps counterintuitive — changes from Solbakken, who sent on Andreas Schjelderup and Oscar Bobb for Alexander Sørloth and Antonio Nusa. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s changes — sending on Endrick and Neymar, among others — might have pleased the crowd, but did little to turn the game.
Haaland and Norway will play the winner of England vs. Mexico in Miami. For Brazil, this is their earliest World Cup exit in 36 years. — Gabriele Marcotti
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With Haaland, Norway can go toe-to-toe with anyone
Haaland is a phenomenon.
Solbakken said after the striker’s late round-of-32 winner against Ivory Coast that he wouldn’t swap him for any player in the world. His two-goal match-winning display against Brazil showed just why.
Every game throws up a Haaland stat about his lack of touches, but it really doesn’t matter. He had only 30 touches before the game entered stoppage time in the second half, but he ended the game with two goals, and that’s all that matters.
Haaland is an absolutely ruthless finisher, and with him in their lineup, Norway can beat anyone. He now has seven goals in this World Cup, taking him level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the most stellar race for a Golden Boot the tournament has ever seen.
Many would have expected Norway and Haaland to be out of this World Cup by now, but they are still in with a shout of going all way after the securing their quarterfinal spot. Norway have won their past 17 games when Haaland has scored, so with the Manchester City star in their side, nobody will want to face them. — Mark Ogden
Brazil exit against European opposition yet again
Brazil’s pre-match buildup was dominated by their winless record against Norway — albeit from four previous meetings. They made it five without a win in their 2-1 loss in New Jersey. But a bigger issue for Brazil is that this defeat extended their World Cup nightmare against European opposition.
Norway’s win made it six consecutive World Cup eliminations for Brazil at the hands of teams from Europe, and even the hiring of the Ancelotti as coach couldn’t halt that trend. Croatia (2022), Belgium (2018), Germany (2014), Netherlands (2010) and France (2006) have all ended Brazilian dreams since they last won the World Cup by beating Germany in the 2002 final.
While losing to Norway will be regarded as a national humiliation in Brazil, the truth is that they were beaten by a better team. Norway were stronger, better organized and more capable with the ball.
Brazil looked very ordinary, and it will take a lot of soul-searching to restore them to the position of dominance they once held. — Ogden
Ancelotti falls far short in the tactical battle
There will be mitigating factors, starting with the forced absence of Raphinha and Lucas Paquetá. Either could have given Brazil the quality to control the game and create chances, certainly far more than the clunky version of 4-2-4 we saw out there. And, of course, this is not a particularly gifted Brazil side at the World Cup, with Ancelotti forced to play more veterans (Danilo and Casemiro stand out) than Selecao fans would have liked.
But the game was there for the taking in the first half, beyond the missed penalty. Nyland came up huge against Vinícius Júnior, and Cunha got shepherded off the ball too easily by David Møller Wolfe. Though Norway are a good side, they, like Brazil, are a mix of superstars and normies who in a competition like the World Cup are called upon to share the stage.
The difference is that Norway were simply a better unit and, crucially, read the game better. Solbakken made a big call at halftime, removing Sørloth (a 20-goal scorer across all competitions for Atletico Madrid) and the lively Nusa for Schjelderup (who was in and out of the side at Benfica) and Bobb (who sat out a huge chunk of last season).
Schjelderup delivered both crosses for Haaland’s two goals, and Bobb’s north-south running stretched Brazil on the other flank. More importantly, it gave Norway a natural 4-3-3 balance that they didn’t have with Sørloth, a center forward by trade who has to deploy out wide.
Contrast this with Ancelotti’s changes. Dropping Endrick into the mix just before the hour mark would have been hailed as a genius move if the former phenom hadn’t gotten his feet mixed up and squandered his one-on-one with Nyland moments after coming on. He offered little the rest of the way, managing a single touch in the opposition box.
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Turning to Neymar shortly thereafter felt like a shill to the public, who had been clamoring to see him on the pitch. He converted the penalty in garbage time but was otherwise second best, though not for lack of trying — three attempted dribbles in half an hour is a bit much.
Brazil made a huge and historic decision when they turned to Ancelotti, their first foreign manager, but now the second-guessing begins. The World Cup is merciless, the bar for Brazil is higher than that for any other national team, just as it is — at club level — for Real Madrid. Heck, that’s why they appointed him in the first place: his success on the biggest stage of all. But after Sunday, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be back. — Marcotti
Norway have the supporting cast to make semis
Norway are a very good team. Haaland is their superstar, but the striker would be nothing without the players behind him and he benefits from a really strong supporting cast. Goalkeeper Nyland was outstanding against Brazil, saving a first-half Guimarães penalty and then pulling off several more crucial stops, and his defense was also well-organized.
But it was in midfield that Norway, who had a staggering 66% possession, really shone against Brazil. Their midfield combination of Patrick Berg and Sander Berge allied to the passing and control of Martin Ødegaard, gives Norway the perfect blend of industry and flair.
Berg, in particular, seems to be able to run all day and his energy was too much for Brazil’s tired midfield of Casemiro and Guimarães.
With either England or Mexico to come in next week’s quarterfinal in Miami, Norway have a great chance of reaching the semifinals and could go even further. They are strong in all departments, so don’t rule out a shock run to the final. — Ogden
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Brazil pay hefty price for PK taker choice
Goals turn games, and there’s a parallel universe where Brazil convert their spot kick in the 10th minute and manage their lead all the way into the quarterfinals. The choice of Guimarães as penalty taker, when options on the pitch included Cunha and Vinícius Júnior, is bound to be a talking point.
He had a perfect record from the spot: 3-for-3, including two in the 2025-26 season with Newcastle. But, clearly, the other two were more experienced, albeit more hit-or-miss. Cunha had converted seven of nine in his career, but had last taken a penalty in 2024. Vinicius was even more experienced, with 19 penalties taken, but also six missed. Two of those misses came in the last season (when he also converted four for Real Madrid).
This will remain as a sliding doors moment for Guimarães and for Brazil (and for Ancelotti, too). It did appear the miss affected Guimarães in the second half, with the Newcastle man opting to pass up a shot from the edge of the area in favor of a pass out wide. — Marcotti
