EAST RUTHERFORD: Norway striker Erling Haaland said the 2-1 win over Brazil in the last 16 of the World Cup on Sunday was something he’d “never dreamed of”.

Haaland scored both goals as Norway reached the quarter-finals for the first time, taking his haul for the tournament to seven — level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.

“I couldn’t quite believe it because I didn’t dream of this ever in my life,” said Haaland.

“I dreamed of playing in the World Cup with Norway and taking them to the World Cup, but I never expected to win against Brazil, let’s be honest. I thought it was not possible to do some things, but I guess I’m wrong.”

Norway maintained their remarkable unbeaten record against five-time world champions Brazil, with three wins and two draws in five meetings.

They will face England in Miami on July 11 for a place in the semi-finals.

Brazil suffered their earliest exit at the World Cup since going out to arch-rivals Argentina in the last 16 in 1990.

“It’s incredible to win,” said Haaland, 25, who has now scored 62 times in just 54 games for Norway.

“I mean it’s a bit surreal. Of course as a football player you want to be in the World Cup and you want to perform, but to score seven goals for Norway in the World Cup, it’s quite special.

“It’s unreal and I don’t have words. It’s difficult to find words for what I’m feeling, what I’m doing, because it is unreal. I need to pinch myself in the arm because it’s big.”

Norway coach Stale Solbakken paid tribute to his squad after an energy-sapping, nerve-jangling win.

Norway’s rowing celebration has become ubiquitous during the tournament, but they had to navigate shark-infested waters against the Brazilians, as well as survive a late penalty from Neymar deep into stoppage time that could have capsized them.

“This is a great group, they love being together, they train well, they help each other and protect each other,” Solbakken told reporters.

“We have a strong culture and we give the opportunity to let people to be themselves and say whatever they want, and that’s a very important part of the whole thing, when things go well and when things go not so well,”.

Selfless running of every player in red and the outstanding goalkeeping of out-of-contract Orjan Nyland — who kept out a first-half spot kick from Bruno Guimaraes — set the scene for Norway’s greatest win in football.

NEYMAR CALLS TIME ON BRAZIL CAREER

Meanwhile, Neymar indicated that his international career was over after the five-time World Cup winners went out of the tournament.

Neymar came on as a late substitute at the MetLife Stadium and scored a penalty deep in injury time, but that was a mere consolation.

The 34-year-old is Brazil’s all-time top scorer and ironically he got his first goal for his country in the same stadium, in a 2-0 win against the United States back in 2010.

“I tried and I tried. Now it’s over. It began here and it ends here,” Neymar said in a brief exchange with a journalist from Brazil’s Globo Esporte after the game.

He collapsed in tears when the final whistle went, and had to be consoled by team-mates.

Worn down by injuries in recent years, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, now back at first club Santos, was a surprise inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the World Cup.

NOT THE END

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said that the defeat should be used as “fuel” for the future as he insisted their disappointing tournament is “the start of a new cycle”.

“Obviously everyone is deeply disappointed, considering what happened. I don’t think we have had a spectacular World Cup but we had a good one. I think we even deserved to win the game today,” Ancelotti said.

“You have to digest a defeat like this. This has been a new adventure. Now we need to keep earning our places, keep trying to improve,” added Ancelotti, who was appointed just over a year ago.

The Italian has a contract through to the next World Cup in 2030 and he quickly dismissed any suggestion that he would step down now.

“I don’t think this is the end. I think this is the start of a new cycle,” the 67-year-old insisted.

Brazil’s wait to win another World Cup will now stretch beyond quarter of a century, with their last title coming in Japan in 2002.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026