Erling Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, was visibly emotional in the stands as his son's 86th-minute goal secured Norway's first-ever victory in the knockout stages of a major tournament, defeating Ivory Coast and advancing them to the last-16 of the World Cup.
The Manchester City striker's close-range finish, following a pass from Patrick Berg, sent Norwegian supporters into a frenzy at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. As Haaland celebrated, cameras focused on his father, a former Manchester City midfielder, who appeared overcome with emotion before passionately celebrating the final whistle.
This historic win comes 32 years after Alf-Inge Haaland represented Norway in the World Cup on American soil, where the team did not advance past the group stage. His son will now lead Norway's attack against Brazil in the next round. The goal was Haaland's 25th in his last 13 competitive international matches.
Norway's celebration included their customary "Viking row" on the pitch, led by captain Martin Odegaard. The match against Ivory Coast, which featured players like Amad Diallo and Franck Kessie, was not a simple victory for Norway. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring for Norway just before halftime with a curling shot. However, Ivory Coast equalized in the 74th minute through Diallo, who scored after a skillful run past two defenders. Haaland's late goal ultimately secured the win.
Norway is set to face a Brazilian side that narrowly defeated Japan in their previous match. Brazil came from behind, with Casemiro equalizing and Gabriel Martinelli scoring the winner in added time against Japan.
