Norway defeated Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, advancing to the Round of 16.
The victory marked Norway’s first knockout-stage win in World Cup history, with Norwegian forward Erling Haaland scoring the decisive late goal after Ivorian winger Amad Diallo had equalized.
Norway took the lead in the 39th minute when Norwegian forward Antonio Nusa scored with a sensational right-footed curler from outside the penalty area, assisted by Norwegian midfielder Martin Ødegaard. Côte d’Ivoire equalized in the 74th minute through Ivorian forward Amad Diallo. Norway regained the advantage in the 86th minute when Norwegian striker Erling Haaland tapped in a close-range finish, assisted by Patrick Berg.
Norway controlled much of the first half with sharp attacking play, while the second half featured end-to-end action, Côte d’Ivoire’s strong response, and Norway’s clinical finishing in the closing stages.
Both teams entered the match with 2-0-1 group stage records. Norway’s win propelled them into the Round of 16, while Côte d’Ivoire exited after a competitive showing in their first knockout appearance.
Norway’s next match is against Brazil on July 5 in the Round of 16.