Haaland calls Norway's chances 'very slim' as Brazil await in World Cup last 16

Erling Haaland netted a decisive 86th-minute winner to send Norway past Ivory Coast 2-1 in the World Cup round of 32, yet the Manchester City striker wasted little time dampening expectations ahead of a last-16 meeting with Brazil.

Played through by Patrick Berg, Haaland converted the late winner to extend his tournament tally to five goals — but his post-match assessment was characteristically direct. “We’re going to the round of 16, there will be excellent teams. It won’t be easy, we have to be realistic. I don’t know if we’ll make it. We’ve prepared a lot and we’re still very prepared,” he told television cameras after the final whistle. When pressed specifically on Norway’s chances of eliminating Brazil, Haaland was blunt: “Uh…very slim.”

Despite the cautious framing, Haaland’s individual numbers at this tournament are anything but modest. His five goals leave him just one behind Golden Boot leaders Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, and the strike against Ivory Coast was the 60th of his international career in only 53 appearances — making him the fastest active player to reach that milestone. For context, Mbappé required 100 caps to reach 60 goals, while Messi needed 122.

Norway captain Martin Odegaard offered a more optimistic read on the Brazil tie. The Arsenal playmaker, who led supporters in the traditional Viking clap during post-match celebrations, urged his team-mates to lean into their underdog status. “It will be a difficult match, but in football anything is possible. We want to keep dreaming, keep enjoying ourselves, let’s give it a try. We’ll see how long we can keep dreaming. Let’s prepare well and enjoy the moment,” Odegaard told reporters in the mixed zone.

Odegaard also acknowledged the quality Norway will face, noting his personal familiarity with Brazil squad members Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhães from his time at Arsenal. Norway have won three of their four games at the tournament so far, but a Brazil side widely regarded as one of the favourites for the title represents a significant step up in class.