Erling Haaland struck four minutes from time to send Norway into the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 and crush Côte d’Ivoire’s hopes with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.

The Manchester City striker’s fifth goal of the tournament secured Norway’s passage to the knockout stage and set up a blockbuster last-16 encounter against Brazil in New York on Sunday.

Côte d’Ivoire had looked capable of causing an upset after a bright start in which they carried much of the attacking threat. Nicolas Pepe repeatedly troubled the Norwegian defence down the right flank, while Ghislain Konan came closest to opening the scoring when he burst into the penalty area only to drag his effort into the side-netting.

The Elephants continued to press and Yan Diomande produced a dangerous delivery to find Pepe, but the winger failed to make clean contact and Norway managed to scramble the ball clear.

For much of the opening period, Haaland was kept quiet. However, Norway gradually took control as the first half wore on. The towering striker miscued a header from Alexander Sorloth’s cross, but the move sparked an improvement in the Scandinavian side’s attacking rhythm.

Their dominance was rewarded in the 39th minute. Captain Martin Odegaard picked out Antonio Nusa on the left and the winger cut inside before curling a magnificent right-footed effort beyond the outstretched Yahia Fofana and into the top corner.

Norway nearly doubled their lead before the interval. Haaland was denied by a desperate defensive block, while Sorloth glanced a header narrowly across goal from the resulting corner.

At the other end, Emmanuel Agbadou headed wide as Côte d’Ivoire sought an immediate response.

The African side emerged with renewed determination after the break. Pepe forced goalkeeper Orjan Nyland into action after Guela Doue’s initial effort had been blocked by Torbjorn Heggem.

Coach Emerse Fae then introduced Amad Diallo on the hour mark, a substitution that transformed the contest.

The Manchester United winger first produced a crucial defensive intervention, clearing Heggem’s goal-bound effort off the line, before making his mark at the opposite end.

Combining brilliantly with Pepe in the 68th minute, Amad exchanged a quick one-two before shrugging off David Moller Wolfe, skipping past Sander Berge and firing a powerful shot that bounced beyond Nyland to bring Côte d’Ivoire level and ignite wild celebrations among their supporters.

With extra time looming, Norway found the decisive breakthrough.

Substitute Oscar Bobb, Haaland’s former Manchester City teammate, threaded a pass into Patrick Berg inside the penalty area. Berg unselfishly squared the ball across goal for Haaland, who calmly rolled it into an empty net with Fofana stranded to restore Norway’s lead in the 86th minute.

Côte d’Ivoire launched one final assault in stoppage time, but Nyland preserved Norway’s advantage by keeping out Amad’s dangerous free-kick.

The final whistle confirmed Norway’s place in the last 16, where they will face five-time world champions Brazil, while Côte d’Ivoire’s World Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end despite a spirited display.

 

 

 

 

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A classic European rivalry reaches the FIFA World Cup stage for the very first time as France and Sweden meet in the Round of 32 at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Although the two nations have faced each other 23 times in international football, this will be their maiden FIFA World Cup encounter. France arrive with a perfect group-stage record and the pedigree of two-time world champions, while Sweden continue their remarkable consistency by reaching the knockout phase for the fifth consecutive World Cup campaign.

Les Bleus have been among the tournament’s most impressive teams, winning all three group matches and scoring 10 goals in the process. Sweden, meanwhile, secured their place among the best third-placed teams thanks to Anthony Elanga’s crucial equaliser against Japan.

Match Facts

• Fixture: France vs Sweden
• Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium
• Stage: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32
• Previous FIFA World Cup Meetings: None
• Total International Meetings: 23
• France Record vs Sweden: Won 12, Drawn 5, Lost 6
• Last Meeting: France 4-2 Sweden (UEFA Nations League, November 2020)
• France Group Record: Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 0
• Sweden Group Record: Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 1

Players in Focus

• Key Man (France): Kylian Mbappé
• Key Man (Sweden): Anthony Elanga
• Player to Watch: Ousmane Dembélé, whose hat-trick against Norway was the second-fastest in FIFA World Cup history.

Historic Milestone

This is the first FIFA World Cup meeting between France and Sweden despite the two nations having amassed a combined 130 World Cup matches before this encounter.

Record Watch

• France have won their last six FIFA World Cup matches against European opposition.
• Les Bleus have scored three or more goals in four consecutive World Cup matches for the first time.
• Kylian Mbappé has scored eight goals in eight World Cup knockout matches for France.
• Sweden have now progressed to the knockout stage in each of their last five World Cup appearances.
• Anthony Elanga is the first Swedish player to score in successive World Cup matches since Kennet Andersson at USA 1994.

The Big Picture

France enter the contest as one of the favourites for the title after a flawless group-stage campaign, while Sweden are looking to spring an upset and continue their proud tradition of World Cup knockout football. With Mbappé, Dembélé and Elanga all in form, New York New Jersey Stadium is set for a compelling battle between two familiar European rivals meeting on the World Cup stage for the first time.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, METLIFE STADIUM, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

Two familiar European rivals will break new ground when France and Sweden meet in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium this Tuesday.

Despite a rich history spanning 23 previous international encounters and a combined 130 FIFA World Cup matches between them, this will be the first time the two nations have faced each other on football’s biggest stage.

France arrive as one of the tournament’s form teams after completing a flawless Group I campaign. Didier Deschamps’ side opened with a commanding 3-1 victory over Senegal before defeating Iraq 3-0 and crushing Norway 4-1 to finish with a perfect nine-point haul.

The French were particularly impressive in their final group outing, where Ousmane Dembélé produced the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history before Désiré Doué added a late fourth goal to underline Les Bleus’ title credentials.

Sweden’s route to the knockout phase was more dramatic. The Scandinavians secured qualification as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams after Anthony Elanga’s equaliser earned a crucial 1-1 draw against Japan. Earlier, they opened their campaign with a resounding 5-1 victory over Tunisia before suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands.

While France are seeking to maintain their momentum towards a third World Cup crown, Sweden will be aiming to extend an impressive record that has seen them reach the knockout phase in each of their last five World Cup appearances.

France’s Ruthless Form

Les Bleus have looked every inch genuine contenders during the group stage.

The 2018 champions have now won 12 of their last 14 international matches and 14 of their last 17 World Cup games. Their current run of scoring three or more goals in four consecutive World Cup matches is the best attacking sequence in the nation’s history.

France have also developed a formidable habit of overcoming European opposition on the global stage, winning each of their last six World Cup meetings against teams from the continent.

Their group-stage dominance mirrors only one previous occasion in French football history. The last time France won all three opening-round matches at a World Cup was in 1998—a tournament they eventually won on home soil.

Experience could also prove decisive. France have emerged victorious in 16 of their last 19 World Cup knockout matches, highlighting their pedigree when the pressure intensifies.

Mbappé Chasing More History

As always, much of France’s attacking threat revolves around captain Kylian Mbappé.

The forward has already scored braces against both Senegal and Iraq and boasts an extraordinary record of eight goals in eight World Cup knockout-stage appearances.

Interestingly, Sweden are among the 30 nations Mbappé has scored against for France. He netted the winner in a UEFA Nations League clash in Stockholm in September 2020 before helping Les Bleus secure a 4-2 victory in the reverse fixture later that year.

Coach Didier Deschamps will also take confidence from his own record against the Scandinavians, having overseen four victories in five meetings with Sweden.

Sweden Seeking Another Giant-Killing Act

Although France enter as favourites, Sweden have built a reputation for thriving as underdogs on the world stage.

The Swedes have progressed beyond the group phase in each of their last five World Cup campaigns and have won five of their nine knockout matches against fellow European nations.

Much of their hope rests on the shoulders of Anthony Elanga, who has become the first Swedish player since Kennet Andersson at USA 1994 to score in successive World Cup matches.

The Nottingham Forest winger’s strike against Japan not only secured qualification but also reinforced his growing importance to the Swedish attack.

Sweden will also rely heavily on the goals of Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, both of whom possess the pace and movement capable of troubling even the most accomplished defences.

Familiar Faces Across Club Football

The match features several intriguing club connections.

France defender William Saliba and Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres recently celebrated Premier League success together at Arsenal.

French centre-back Ibrahima Konaté and Swedish forward Alexander Isak are teammates at Liverpool, while France full-back Lucas Digne and Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf helped Aston Villa lift the UEFA Europa League last season.

Those relationships could add an extra layer of intrigue as familiar club colleagues become opponents on the World Cup stage.

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