As expected, the match was evenly balanced right from the opening whistle. Ivory Coast started confidently and constantly put pressure on Norway with attacks down the flanks from Yan Diomande, Nicolas Pepe, and Ghislain Konan. However, the Norwegian defense and goalkeeper Orjan Nyland played attentively, successfully neutralizing the African team's attacks.
Conversely, Norway proved dangerous on the counter-attack. Haaland threatened Yahia Fofana's goal several times but failed to capitalize on the opportunities. After a series of missed chances, the Nordic team finally opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Antonio Nusa confidently dribbled the ball before unleashing a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, giving Norway a 1-0 lead before halftime.
In the second half, Ivory Coast increased the pressure in an attempt to find an equalizer. Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie, and Emmanuel Agbadou repeatedly tested Nyland, but without success. The turning point came when coach Emerse Faé brought Amad Diallo onto the field.
In the 74th minute, Amad Diallo displayed skillful footwork before unleashing a powerful shot into the far corner, leveling the score at 1-1 and bringing the game back to a tie.
However, just as Ivory Coast were gaining momentum, Haaland stepped up at the right moment. In the 86th minute, the Norwegian striker capitalized on a well-placed pass inside the penalty area to coolly finish, beating Fofana and securing a 2-1 victory for the Nordic team.
In injury time, Ivory Coast launched a full-scale attack but were unable to break through Norway's solid defense.
A thrilling victory secured Norway's place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Haaland and his teammates' next challenge will be a clash with title contenders Brazil .