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Qatar News Agency reported that Norway reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history by defeating Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16. The match took place at the New York New Jersey Stadium where Erling Haaland scored in the 80th and 89th minutes to secure the victory. Norway will now face England in the quarterfinals after the latter defeated Mexico 3-2 in a separate fixture on the same day.
The Qatar News Agency’s match account detailed how goalkeeper Orjan Nyland saved an early penalty from Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes as Norway defended resolutely throughout the contest. Andreas Schjelderup delivered the cross for Haaland’s first goal which was a header and then assisted the second with a pass leading to a powerful finish. Neymar Jr converted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time for Brazil but the comeback fell short according to the report.
Historical records compiled by football databases show that Norway has a strong record against Brazil having won their previous 1998 World Cup group stage meeting by the same 2-1 scoreline.[[1]](https://www.11v11.com/teams/norway/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Brazil/) The Scandinavian side has never lost a competitive fixture to the five-time world champions across their encounters. This latest result adds to that pattern while marking Norway’s first progression beyond the round of 16 in any World Cup.
FIFA tournament statistics place Haaland level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe atop the 2026 scoring charts with seven goals each following his brace.[[2]](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026) The forward’s performance proved decisive in the knockout stage encounter. Norway’s path to this stage included a second-place finish in their group and a prior knockout win over Ivory Coast.
England advanced by overcoming Mexico 3-2 later on Saturday setting up the quarterfinal against Norway according to updated knockout brackets. The fixture forms part of the quarterfinal round scheduled between July 9 and 11 across North American venues. Both teams have demonstrated strong form en route to this stage of the competition.
The 2026 edition features an expanded 48-team format with a round of 32 leading into the round of 16 as approved by FIFA prior to the tournament.[[3]](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/fifa-world-cup-2026-hosts-cities-dates-usa-mexico-canada) This structure requires teams to play additional matches to reach the final compared to previous editions. Official schedules confirm the quarterfinals will determine the final four sides across multiple host cities in the United States Canada and Mexico.
