Haaland Strikes Late to Give Norway 2-1 Win Over Ivory Coast

Erling Haaland proved the difference once again, tapping home a close-range finish late in the match to hand Norway a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in a dramatic World Cup clash in Dallas. The goal extended one of international football's most remarkable streaks — Haaland has now scored in each of his last 13 competitive internationals for Norway, netting 25 goals across that run.

The match looked set to end 1-0 in Norway's favor before Ivory Coast super-sub Mamadou Diallo turned the game on its head with a stunning individual effort. Coming off the bench, Diallo first made a crucial goal-line clearance to keep his side alive, then produced a mesmerizing run — combining with Pepe in a one-two, dancing past two Norwegian defenders, and curling a composed finish past goalkeeper Nyland to level at 1-1. That brace made Diallo only the third player in history to score twice as a substitute for an African nation at a single FIFA World Cup, joining Roger Milla (Cameroon, 1990, four goals) and Pape Gueye (Senegal, this tournament, two goals).

With the equalizer threatening to deny Norway, the Scandinavians regrouped and dominated possession — holding over 75% of the ball after going level. The winner arrived when substitute Oliver Bobb slid a sharp pass through to Berg, who had made a clever run beyond the attack. Berg dug out a cross to the far post, and Haaland did the rest with a simple tap-in. Norway then managed the game through seven minutes of additional time to secure the three points.

Norway's attacking quality, anchored by Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard, ultimately proved too much for Ivory Coast to contain for a full 90 minutes, despite the Ivorians' dangerous threat on the counter-attack in the closing stages.