Erling Haaland Closes In on Lionel Messi Record as Norway Fire Past Ivory Coast to Reach Last 16

Norway booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast in their Round of 32 clash.

The win also saw Erling Haaland move closer to Lionel Messi's tournament scoring record, with the Norwegian striker taking his tally to five goals, just one behind the Argentine's six.

After a tightly contested opening period, Norway finally broke the deadlock in the 39th minute to take control of the match.

Both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities during the opening exchanges, with possession and momentum evenly shared for much of the first half.

Norway, however, gradually began to assert themselves, enjoying 55 per cent of the ball while registering six attempts on goal, two of which tested the Ivory Coast goalkeeper. Ivory Coast responded with five efforts, managing just one shot on target.

The breakthrough eventually arrived six minutes before the interval. Midfielder Martin Ødegaard picked out Antonio Nusa, who unleashed a powerful strike to beat the goalkeeper and hand Norway a deserved 1-0 lead heading into the break.

Ivory Coast piled on the pressure in the opening stages of the second half, creating several scoring opportunities, but Norway remained resolute at the back to protect their 1-0 lead through the 68th minute.

Ivory Coast finally found the equaliser in the 74th minute through substitute Amad Diallo. Introduced in the 60th minute in place of Christ Inao Oulaï, the forward weaved his way through the Norwegian defence before calmly finding the back of the net.

Norway restored their advantage in the 86th minute when Erling Haaland converted Patrick Berg's pinpoint delivery from close range, putting his side 2-1 ahead.

Meanwhile, the group stage saw both the Ivory Coast and Norway deliver impressive performances to advance to the knockout rounds as runners-up in their respective groups.

Competing in Group E, the Ivory Coast relied heavily on a rock-solid defence that conceded only two goals across their three opening matches.

The Elephants secured a dramatic 1-0 victory against Ecuador on a late winner, and they bounced back from a narrow 2-1 defeat against Germany by comfortably shutting out Curaçao 2-0.

Meanwhile, Norway lit up Group I with an explosive attacking display, racking up eight goals during the initial phase of the tournament.

Erling Haaland spearheaded the Scandinavian side, netting consecutive braces in a commanding 4-1 triumph over Iraq and a thrilling 3-2 win against Senegal.

With qualification already secured, Norway rested ten key starters for their final match, which ultimately resulted in a 4-1 loss to group winners France.

Both nations concluded the stage with six points from two wins and one loss, proving they are formidable contenders heading into the knockout rounds.

Norway will now face Brazil in the Round of 16 after the South American giants secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Japan to set up a blockbuster knockout clash.