Norway reach first-ever World Cup quarterfinal after stunning Brazil

Norway beat Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history. Erling Haaland scored twice in the final ten minutes to turn the game, after Brazil had held firm for long periods and looked the more likely winners for most of the night.

Brazil actually started the stronger side and had a first-half penalty saved by Norway keeper Ørjan Nyland, who was excellent all night. But Norway grew into the game, controlled long spells of possession, and made their pressure count exactly when it mattered, with Haaland finishing clinically both times. Neymar pulled one back from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, but it was already too late, and he picked up a yellow card for his frustration soon after. For the five-time champions, it's their earliest World Cup exit since 1990 — the first time in 36 years Brazil have missed the quarterfinal stage.

For Norway, this is uncharted territory. In four World Cup appearances stretching back to 1938, their best previous finish was the Round of 16, reached in 1998 and matched again this year before Sunday's win against Brazil finally broke new ground. Haaland, playing in his first major tournament, has now been directly involved in the difference in almost every one of Norway's knockout games, and this result puts him firmly in the conversation for the tournament's Golden Boot.

Norway's reward is a quarterfinal against the winner of Mexico vs England, a tie still being played out. Whichever side comes through, Norway will go in as the form team of the round, and after a performance like this, few will be writing them off as underdogs anymore.