Reviewed by Toluwalase Solanke
Table of Contents
The match between Brazil and Norway at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ended in a historic upset.
The match between Brazil and Norway at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ended in a historic upset.
Norway shocked the entire world with a 2-1 victory against Brazil in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It wasn’t just a win; it was a historical reset.
Why did we call this a historical reset? Whose history was reset?
After beating Japan in the round of 32, Brazil proceeded to play against Norway in the round of 16 on 5th July, 2026.
The defeat marked Brazil’s earliest exit from a World Cup tournament since 1990. Remarkably, Norway maintained its status as the only national team in football history to have played Brazil many times without defeat (3 wins, 2 draws). Also, this is the first time Norway has advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals.
In contrast, according to ESPN, Brazil failed to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
First Half – Missed Penalty and Deadlock
Norway had initially almost taken the lead less than five minutes after the first half started. However, their victory was short-lived as Patrick Berg’s fourth-minute goal for Norway was disallowed for offside.
During the 11th minute, Matheus Cunha made an aggressive attacking run into the Norwegian penalty area. As he got ready to shoot, Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer launched a sliding tackle to stop the attack, causing Cunha to trip. After a VAR review and confirming Cunha was tripped by Ajar in the 13th minute, Brazil was awarded a penalty. Vinícius Júnior passed the ball over to Brazil’s penalty taker, Bruno Guimarãess who also plays for Newcastle United.
Bruno Guimaraes had stepped up to shoot the penalty. Disappointedly, it was saved by Ørjan Nyland. This crucial save by the Norwegian goalkeeper set the tone for a resilient defensive performance that followed. The save made Brazil feel more frustrated as the first half neared its end. It also kept the match at a 0-0 score in the first half.
Although Vinícius Júnior had the opportunity to give Brazil a lead, he passed it to Bruno. Why?
A FOX NEWS report said that Davide Ancelloti explained the reason for the decision. He reported that “It was decided before the game that Bruno Guimarães should take the penalty,” And when asked if that was the right decision, he responded. “To miss a penalty can happen in football,”
“Today, it happened.”
Davide Ancelloti is the son of Carlo Ancelloti, Brazil’s coach.
Fox News also reported, “It was Brazil’s first unsuccessful penalty kick in the World Cup — not counting shootouts — since 1986.”
Second Half Victory
As the game progressed, Carlo Ancelotti’s men displayed an initial tactical dominance. However, they had a difficult time breaking through Norway’s compact and disciplined low block. At this point, Erling Haaland was beginning to take control of the match. At the 79th minute, after receiving an assist from winger Andreas Schjelderup, the superstar scored a header past Allison Becker. This was the opening goal of the match. The Norwegian team erupted into jubilation.
He also scored again from a left foot at the 90th minute, giving a clinical low strike into the net. Another jubilation for the people as he doubled the lead.
At the 67th minute, Neymar Junior was brought into the game. In the 100th minute of stoppage time (90+10’), he converted a late penalty kick into a goal. Shortly after, the final whistle was blown, ending the match.
Although the captain scored the only goal for his country, he still expressed his disappointment. News reported that “Despite scoring the only goal for his team, Neymar, the 34-year-old legend, was visibly distraught at the end of what was likely to be his final World Cup.”
Summary
Carlo Ancelotti’s men played and ended the game with the lowest-ever possession stats (34%). For a five-time champion, it’s a disappointing record.
According to Al Jazeera Sports, the last time Brazil failed to reach at least the quarterfinals came 36 years ago, when they lost 1-0 to archrivals Argentina in the last 16.
Read also: How Vozinha Became Cape Verde’s Biggest World Cup Hero
