Erling Haaland scored twice in the closing stages to fire Norway into their first ever FIFA World Cup quarterfinal with a stunning 2 to 1 victory over Brazil on Sunday, ending the South American giants’ campaign at the round of 16 stage for the first time since 1990. Playing at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, Norway survived relentless Brazilian pressure before Haaland struck in the 79th and 90th minutes to complete one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Neymar scored a penalty deep into stoppage time, but Brazil ran out of time to complete a comeback. The result also extended Brazil’s painful record against Norway. The five time world champions have still never beaten the Scandinavian side in a World Cup match. Norway will now face either co hosts Mexico or England in the quarterfinals in Miami on July 11. Haaland’s brace lifted his tournament tally to seven goals, drawing level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Nyland’s heroics keep Brazil at bay before Haaland delivers Brazil dominated much of the opening hour but repeatedly found Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland standing in their way. The biggest moment of the first half came when referee Ismail Elfath awarded Brazil a penalty after a VAR review overturned his original decision. Bruno Guimaraes stepped up, but Nyland guessed correctly and pushed away the spot kick with a superb diving save. Nyland continued his outstanding performance by denying Gabriel Martinelli, Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes on several occasions. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti handed Gabriel Martinelli a starting place after his winning goal against Japan in the previous round. Norway, meanwhile, welcomed back defender Julian Ryerson after he recovered from a thigh injury. Norway coach Stale Solbakken changed the match after halftime by introducing Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup. The tactical switch gave Norway greater attacking width and helped create both decisive goals. Brazil’s World Cup dream ends as Norway celebrates history Schjelderup delivered a precise cross in the 79th minute, allowing Haaland to power a header beyond Alisson and give Norway the lead. Brazil pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Haaland struck again in the 90th minute. The Manchester City striker drilled a powerful low shot into the corner from outside the penalty area to double Norway’s advantage. Neymar entered the match in the 67th minute to a huge ovation and converted Brazil’s second penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time after Casemiro suffered an elbow inside the box. The goal arrived too late to rescue the Selecao. The defeat marked Brazil’s sixth consecutive World Cup elimination by European opposition despite appointing Ancelotti in a bid to end a 24 year wait for another world title. Norway’s victory sparked huge celebrations back home, where more than 90,000 supporters filled central Oslo to celebrate the country’s greatest football achievement. Haaland described it as “one of the sickest days ever in Norwegian history.”
Lionel Messi Makes World Cup History, Scores in 7 Straight Games
Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday week with another milestone, coming off the bench to score in Argentina’s 3-1 win over Jordan and extend his remarkable FIFA World Cup scoring streak. Although Argentina had already secured first place in Group J before kickoff, thousands of supporters packed the stadium hoping to see their captain in action. The defending champions rested Messi at the start, but the crowd erupted when he entered the match in the 60th minute. Twenty minutes later, the eight time Ballon d’Or winner delivered another memorable moment. After drawing a foul just outside the penalty area, Messi curled a low free kick through the defensive wall and into the corner of the net to seal Argentina’s victory. The goal made him the first men’s player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. It also increased his overall World Cup tally to 19 goals, extending his record as the competition’s highest scoring male player. Another Milestone for Argentina’s Captain The strike also added another chapter to Messi’s remarkable international career. It was the 72nd direct free kick goal of his professional career and his 12th for Argentina. Messi now has 123 international goals in 202 appearances, leaving him second on the all time men’s list behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 145 goals. https://Twitter.com/itsmeuv10/status/2071078241557733727 His latest free kick also placed him among a select group of players to score multiple direct free kicks in World Cup history. The achievement puts him alongside Pelé, Rivellino, Téofilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini and David Beckham. Argentina also received an important contribution from Giovani Lo Celso, who opened the scoring with a first half free kick. After the match, Lo Celso praised his captain’s influence on the squad. “I am very happy for him, for the moment he is having,” Lo Celso said. “The truth is that seeing him every day excites, excites and infects a lot. So obviously seeing him like that for us is very important.” Knockout Stage Awaits Messi started on the bench after dealing with a minor hamstring issue before the tournament. Argentina’s coaching staff also had little reason to risk him because the team had already guaranteed top spot in the group, while Jordan had no chance of reaching the knockout stage. Even so, the atmosphere changed the moment Messi began warming up. Supporters repeatedly chanted his name before welcoming him with a standing ovation as he entered the field. Argentina now moves into the Round of 32 as one of the tournament favourites. The team’s knockout campaign begins next Friday in South Florida. Messi also leads the race for the Golden Boot with six goals. He sits two clear of Kylian Mbappé, VinÃcius Júnior and Erling Haaland. With five more matches separating Argentina from another possible World Cup title, Messi’s latest record has only strengthened belief that his extraordinary international career still has more history to make.
