Norway secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast to book their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, where they will face five-time champions .
In a tense contest at Dallas Stadium, Norway found the breakthrough in the 39th minute through . The young forward capitalized on a precise pass from , dribbled into the box, and curled a right-footed shot past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
Ivory Coast dominated the early stages and created several promising opportunities, but failed to convert. Their persistence paid off in the second half when substitute Diallo made an immediate impact. Coming on in the 60th minute, he equalized in the 74th minute with a stunning solo effort after combining brilliantly with Pepe.
As the match looked destined for extra time, Norway’s star striker delivered the decisive blow in the 86th minute. Receiving a well-timed pass inside the box, Haaland calmly tapped the ball into the net to restore Norway’s lead.
Ivory Coast pushed hard for another equalizer in stoppage time, with Diallo nearly scoring from a dangerous free-kick in the 90+7th minute. However, Norway goalkeeper Nyland produced a remarkable save to preserve the lead.
The win marks Norway’s first-ever knockout victory at a World Cup and sets up a highly anticipated clash against in the next round.
