'Holand's multi-goal explosion → Brazil's humiliating defeat for the first time in 36 years' Norway's historic storm... shocking first-ever World Cup quarterfinal breakthrough

*This content was translated by AI.

The Viking army subdued a South American powerhouse. Ranked 31st by FIFA, Norway continued its stunning run by defeating sixth-ranked Brazil in a single-elimination World Cup match.

On the 6th (Korean time), Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 at New York-New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey, USA, during the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup Round of 16, achieving their first-ever qualification for the World Cup quarterfinals.

That day, Norway took a two-goal lead thanks to Erling Haaland (Manchester City) scoring multiple goals late in the second half. Brazil managed to pull one back through Neymar's (Santos) penalty kick just before the final whistle but ultimately failed to catch up.

With this victory, Norway, which returned to the tournament stage for the first time since the 1998 France World Cup after a 28-year absence, wrote new history. In the quarterfinals, they will compete against either Mexico or England, depending on the winner of their match, for a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, strong favorite Brazil suffered its first defeat of this tournament and was eliminated. It has been 36 years since Brazil last exited at the Round of 16, dating back to the 1990 Italy World Cup.

The match was intense from the start. Norway's midfielder Patrick Berg opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the first half, but his goal was disallowed due to an offside call against Alexander Sørloth earlier in the play, leaving them with a bitter taste.

After overcoming the crisis, Brazil immediately seized a decisive opportunity. In the 11th minute of the first half, Mateus Cunha went down inside the penalty area after being tackled by Christopher Ajer's sliding challenge, earning a penalty kick. However, in the 15th minute, goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland made a crucial save against Bruno Guimarães' shot. The first half ended 0-0.

As the frustrating flow continued, Brazil introduced Endrick for Mateus Cunha in the 13th minute of the second half as a game-changing move. Endrick received Vinícius's pass immediately after entering and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one in a critical chance, but his shot missed the target.

Furthermore, Brazil brought on veteran Neymar in the 23rd minute of the second half to launch an all-out attack, but they could not break through Norway's solid defensive wall. Instead, the momentum shifted as Norway began pressing Brazil from the middle of the second half onward.

It was ultimately Haaland who broke the intense balance. In the 34th minute of the second half, Haaland won a header against defender Gabriel Magalhães after receiving a cross from Sildrup, scoring the opening goal with a high-point header.

Haaland effectively sealed the match. In the 45th minute of the second half, he fired a sharp left-footed mid-range shot from outside the penalty area to add another goal, crushing Brazil's hopes of a comeback. With his seventh goal of this tournament in just four matches, Haaland now shares the top scorer position with Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Kylian Mbappé (France).

In stoppage time of the second half, Brazil was awarded a second penalty kick after referee Ismail El-Hart judged that Casemiro had been fouled by Leo Østigård's elbow. Neymar calmly converted to score a consolation goal, but there was insufficient time to equalize. Norway secured a 2-1 victory thanks to Haaland's multi-goal performance.

With this defeat, Brazilian football once again faces a cruel dark period. Brazil had previously suffered early exits at the quarterfinals in the 2006 Germany World Cup and the 2010 South Africa World Cup, endured a humiliating 1-7 loss during the 2014 World Cup hosted on home soil, and lost 1-2 to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Russia World Cup. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, they were eliminated again in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout against Croatia, failing to fully break their slump.

Ultimately, Brazil appointed legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti hoping to restore honor at this World Cup, but they received the worst possible result with an early exit from the Round of 16. Although Ancelotti is under contract until 2030, his future is expected to become a subject of controversy much sooner than anticipated due to this premature elimination.

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*This content was translated by AI.