Erling Haaland stood on the Dallas turf with a lopsided Viking helmet and a broad grin, soaking up the moment.
Norway had just edged Ivory Coast 2-1, claiming their first-ever World Cup knockout win. Players and fans marked it with their now-famous Viking Row, led by Martin Odegaard on the drum.
Naturally, Haaland struck the decisive goal. It wasn’t his most spectacular finish—a mis-hit off Patrick Berg’s cut-back that Yaya Fofana almost clawed off the line—but it was undoubtedly his most meaningful.
The result made Norway the first European team into the last 16, succeeding where Germany and the Netherlands fell short. It equals their best World Cup run from 1998, and sets up a blockbuster meeting with Brazil.
For Haaland, it adds substance to a remarkable scoring record previously padded by big hauls—five against Moldova and multiple hat-tricks versus Romania, Kazakhstan, Gibraltar, and others.
He now has 60 goals in 53 senior internationals—one every 72 minutes on average—but the first 55 arrived outside major tournaments, with Norway having missed all of them during his lifetime until now.
At the 2026 World Cup, he has delivered under the glare: five goals in three matches, with only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe ahead of him in North America. Judging by his beaming smile in Dallas and playful off-field posts, he’s relishing the stage.
“Norway are a very good side largely because of him,” said former England captain and BBC pundit Wayne Rooney. “He wasn’t involved loads, but he produced the winner—he’s devastating and has shown he belongs at this level.”
Ex-England international Steph Houghton added that Norway had the crucial touch of class, noting that it always felt like the big striker would decide it.