Norway forward Erling Haaland described his side's 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 as "the biggest by far" after scoring both goals to send Norway into the quarter-finals. Notably, Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time in the nation's history.
Haaland's Emotional Reaction
In a video posted by the Norwegian national football team on X, Haaland described the victory as the biggest by far, saying he was overwhelmed by the achievement and struggled to put the historic win into words. "This is clearly the biggest by far, without a doubt; it's completely insane, I can't even comprehend it myself. Insane, I'm out of words. Not much to say, it's completely insane. You just have to pinch your arm; it's completely insane. It's hard to put words to it," Haaland said.
Norway's Approach and Quarter-Final Clash
Norway will now face England in the quarter-final clash in Miami on July 11. Haaland said Norway approached the match with no pressure, viewing everything beyond that stage as a bonus. He added that the team simply enjoyed the occasion, capitalised on Brazil's pressure, and would cherish the memorable victory and their World Cup journey forever. "I said before this match, everything from here on is a bonus, shoulders down and enjoy it, just like we did today. You could feel it today; the pressure was on them. We just played. It would be a party either way, win or lose, and we managed to win, so we'll just enjoy and savour the moment. I mean, this is a journey we'll remember forever," Haaland said.
Coach Solbakken's Delight
Norway coach Stale Solbakken expressed delight for the players, staff, and fans across the country after the big win, saying the intense buildup had been rewarded with a memorable result. He added that the nation could now celebrate and look forward to the next match, describing the experience as both fantastic and surreal. "I'm very happy on behalf of the players, the support staff, all of Norway, everyone who followed this game. It's been a massive, massive buildup to this match, and it's very rare that it delivers to such an extent, so everyone can experience this together across Norway. Now they can take a week to look forward to the next game, so that will be... no, it's fantastic, and it's a bit of an absurd feeling, actually," Solbakken said in another video posted by the Norwegian national football team on X.
Match Summary
Coming to the match at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, Haaland scored a late brace to lead Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil. Despite Brazil dominating possession and missing a first-half penalty, Norway held firm with key saves from goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. Brazil star Neymar scored a stoppage-time penalty, but it was not enough to prevent Brazil's exit as Norway will now face England in the quarter-finals after the Three Lions defeated Mexico 3-2 in their Round of 16 clash.
