A dramatic late finish at the men’s World Cup saw Norway secure a spot in the round of 16 on Monday, courtesy of a late match-winning goal from star striker Erling Haaland that sealed a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. With the fixture seemingly on course to go to extra time after both sides had settled into a 1-1 draw, Haaland struck with just four minutes left on the clock to break Ivory Coast’s brave resistance and book his nation’s place in the knockout stage.
From the opening kickoff, Ivory Coast dominated possession and put together sharp, organized build-up play that forced Norway to drop deep into their own half to avoid conceding an early opener. The African side wasted no time creating their first clear chance: as early as the 7th minute, Nicolas Pépé found himself unmarked behind Norway’s defensive line, but he stumbled the opportunity after being caught off guard by the space he had been afforded. In the 21st minute, Ghislain Konan had another promising opening to put Ivory Coast ahead, but his effort drifted just wide of the right post.
After the mandatory hydration break, Pépé was handed another golden opportunity, this time from a perfectly weighted through ball by Yan Diomandé. Once again, the winger failed to convert, letting Norway off the hook. Norway’s first clear chance did not come until the 37th minute, when Alexander Sørloth picked out Haaland inside the box, but the Manchester City striker’s header lacked the power needed to beat Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Two minutes later, Antonio Nusa broke the deadlock with a well-placed diagonal shot that beat Fofana at his near post, putting Norway ahead 1-0. Haaland thought he had doubled Norway’s lead just moments before halftime, but Ibrahim Sangaré made a critical goal-line block to keep the scoreline at 1-0 going into the break.
In the second half, Ivory Coast continued to push for an equalizer, and came close in the 55th minute when Pépé’s shot was blocked by Norway’s goalkeeper. The African side finally got their equalizer in the 74th minute, when substitute Ahmad Diollo pulled off a spectacular individual run before finishing with a clinical strike to level the score at 1-1. Over the following 12 minutes, both sides traded half-chances but neither could find a decisive breakthrough, leaving most observers expecting 30 minutes of extra time to decide the winner.
That was until the 86th minute, when Haaland – who had been largely quiet throughout the match up to that point – was on hand to tap home a low cross from close range, securing a 2-1 win for Norway. The result means Norway progresses to the tournament’s round of 16, while Ivory Coast, despite a valiant and energetic performance, exits the competition, punished for their profligacy in front of goal that saw them waste multiple clear chances throughout the 90 minutes.