EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 6, 2026 (V7N) – Brazil's quest for a sixth World Cup title came to a crushing end on Sunday night as an inspired Norway side secured a historic 2-1 victory in the round of 16, sending the five-time champions packing and extending their trophy drought to 28 years.

The Scandinavians advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, thanks to a clinical second-half brace from Erling Haaland, while Brazil were left to rue a missed first-half penalty that could have changed the course of the match.

Brazil's night unravelled early when Bruno Guimarães saw his 14th-minute penalty comfortably saved by veteran goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, after a golden opportunity to break the deadlock went begging. The miss seemed to deflate Carlo Ancelotti's side, while Norway grew in confidence and controlled possession for much of the remainder of the half.

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken made key attacking changes at the break, introducing Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup, and the move transformed his side. Norway dominated possession at 67% in the second half, and the pressure finally told in the 79th minute when Schjelderup set up Haaland, who fired past Alisson Becker to put Norway ahead.

With Brazil pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Norway struck again on the counter in the 90th minute. Schjelderup turned provider once more, finding Haaland who coolly finished his second of the night to make it 2-0 and seemingly seal the win.

Deep into stoppage time, chaos erupted. Neymar was booked for a foul on Martin Ødegaard, sparking a heated confrontation between players. Moments later, Leo Østigård conceded a penalty for a dangerous challenge on Casemiro, and Neymar stepped up to convert in the 100th minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1. But it proved too little, too late, as the final whistle confirmed Norway's historic triumph.

Haaland, who earned a remarkable 8.8 player rating, was the undisputed hero of the night. Norway now head to Houston for a quarter-final clash against either the Netherlands or Morocco, while Brazil face a painful post-mortem after another early exit on the global stage.

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