Norway’s Erling Haaland (9) goes for the ball during the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, on June 30, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Every rowing crew knows that progress comes only when everyone pulls in the same direction. Norway’s fans have turned that truth into theatre at this World Cup, sitting in lines and rowing in unison through their celebrations. They arrived in Arlington with the hope that their songs could provide one final push towards the last 16 of the World Cup.
By the final whistle, the players had joined the act. Norway played in the same spirit as it suffered as one, defended without panic and refused to allow Ivory Coast’s physicality to impact the scoreline. The players sat down before their supporters and rowed together, the celebration perfectly reflecting the collective endeavour that had brought them safely ashore with a 2-1 triumph.
FIFA World Cup | Norway vs Ivory Coast highlights
Norway was guilty of starting with too many square passes and failing to involve Erling Haaland, allowing Ivory Coast to grow into the contest. The Elephants played with a spring in their step, while Norway’s defence was left trying to extinguish one attack after another as an error-ridden midfield offered little protection.
As play resumed after the hydration break, Yan Diomande’s cross from the left picked out Nicolas Pepe arriving unmarked at the far post, and although his effort was unlikely to find the net, Marcus Pedersen was relieved to hack it out.
In the 36th minute, Haaland finally had a sight of goal after Alexander Sorloth floated in a cross from the right, but the Manchester City striker’s bouncing header lacked its usual conviction and Yahia Fofana comfortably gathered.
Against the run of play, however, Norway scored in the 39th minute. Antonio Nusa collected the ball on the edge of the area and struck it like a hammer hitting the nail, with the ball disappearing into the top-right corner.
Norway came close to extending the lead a little after the hour mark as Torbjorn Heggem met Martin Odegaard’s corner six yards out, but Amad Diallo, just introduced, was stationed on the line to hoof it clear.
Diallo soon had a bigger impact. He played a one-two with Pepe outside the box, took the return pass inside, before slipping past Moller Wolfe and Sander Berge to whip in the equaliser into the bottom-left corner with at least a quarter of an hour still to play for.
A simple Haaland tap-in in the 86th minute, however, ultimately broke the Ivorian hearts. The striker, largely uninvolved until then, arrived in front of goal to turn in Patrick Berg’s cross as a flat-footed defence watched in horror.
Diallo, again, almost brought his team back as his stinging freekick in the dying minutes was acrobatically tipped out by a watchful Orjan Nyland.
When it mattered most, Norway had found one final stroke, enough to carry it past Ivory Coast and into a mouthwatering meeting with Brazil in New York.
Published – July 01, 2026 12:53 am IST
