Norway are through to the last 16, but their 2-1 win over Ivory Coast looked far less convincing than the result suggests. This was not the performance of a team ready to seriously challenge Brazil. It was the performance of a team still heavily dependent on one man — and when that man was taken away from the game, Norway looked short of ideas, rhythm and alternative solutions. Ivory Coast gave everyone a blueprint: stay tight to Erling Haaland, deny him early service, force him away from goal and make the rest of Norway beat you. For most of the match, that plan worked. Opta recorded Haaland with only eight touches and one completed pass in the first half, while Sky Sports went even further, noting that he had only three touches before the break. For a striker around whom Norway's entire attacking identity is built, that is a major warning sign.
The problem was not just that Haaland was quiet. The problem was that Norway had no clear answer when he was quiet. They moved the ball, they passed sideways, they waited for gaps, but too many attacks ended without real penetration or a serious shot. Ivory Coast had 14 shots to Norway's nine and won 14 corners, which tells its own story. The African side were not just hanging on — they were the more aggressive team for long spells. Reuters wrote that Ivory Coast dominated large parts of the match but were let down by poor touches and finishing, while their coach Emerse Fae admitted afterwards that inexperience and a lack of defensive maturity cost them late on. In other words, Norway did not control this knockout tie. They survived it.
Martin Ødegaard's performance also summed up Norway's issue. Yes, he assisted Antonio Nusa's opener, and Opta noted that he has now assisted in each of his first three World Cup appearances. But the wider impression was still underwhelming. GOAL's player ratings described him as someone who “struggled to pick the lock” and was often “too ponderous on the ball”. That feels accurate. This was exactly the type of match where Norway needed Ødegaard to become the creative leader: speed up the tempo, drag defenders out of shape, find Haaland earlier, create something when the obvious route was closed. Instead, Norway often looked predictable, as if every attack was waiting for the same final answer.
The outside reaction made the same point in different ways. Sky Sports' Sam Blitz called it a match that proved the importance of having an elite-level striker, but also noted that Ivory Coast were “fairly dominant from start to finish” and should have scored more based on the quality of their chances. FOX Sports' Matteo Bonetti was even more direct in tone: Norway's win was “momentous, but not pretty”, with Ivory Coast having more shots, more corners and control for long stretches. That is the real story. Norway are not being carried by a beautifully functioning attacking machine. They are being carried by a striker who can disappear for 80 minutes and still decide everything in one moment.
That is the beauty and the danger of this Norway team. Haaland had four shots, scored the winner in the 86th minute and now has five goals at the tournament. He is elite enough to rescue a poor performance, and that is why Norway remain dangerous. But relying on that formula against Ivory Coast is one thing. Relying on it against Brazil is something else entirely. Brazil will have seen this match and understood the message clearly: stop the supply to Haaland, force Norway into slow possession, make Ødegaard play under pressure, and ask the rest of the team to create. Based on what we saw in Dallas, Norway have not yet shown they can consistently do that.
Norway deserve credit for making history. They won their first ever World Cup knockout match and found a way through a difficult game. But survival should not be confused with dominance. Against Ivory Coast, they looked one-dimensional, overly dependent on Haaland and strangely blunt whenever the ball did not reach him quickly enough. Ivory Coast probably played the better football for longer periods, but Norway had the player who matters most in decisive moments. This time, the ball finally found Haaland and he rescued them. Against Brazil, they may not be so lucky.
Published by Patrick Jane
01.07.2026