Whoever goes out tonight — five-time champions Brazil or Norway, which is participating just for the fourth time — the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be poorer for its remaining days.
Norway have never been a major force in international football, but this time around it’s different, all thanks to their attacker Erling Haaland. If not more, he is as popular as the Lionel Messis, Cristiano Ronaldos or Kylian Mbappes of the world. He is big and strong and has a massive appetite for scoring goals. Social media platforms abound with extraordinary Haaland stories. That he trains in a true Viking fashion: how he chops trees and splits firewood. What he eats and drinks: beef hearts and livers and raw milk.
He has been a fantastic player for Manchester City in the Premier League in the last few years and to date has scored 162 goals for them. To all intents and purposes, he is a terror in the final third. He is devastatingly left-footed and not reliant on others too much. In the World Cup qualifying, he scored 16 goals in eight matches. In those matches, Norway scored 37 goals in all.
In the World Cup, so far, he has scored five goals, and except for a defeat to France, Norway have been very good under his guidance. The kind of fan following the 25-year-old is enjoying at present, Norway exiting the World Cup, in the wee hours of Monday, won’t be good news for fans all over the world. Of course, it’s not a foregone conclusion, just an assumption in light of the team Haaland is against, the most celebrated team in football history. Norway last played in a World Cup in 1998 in France and had reached the pre-quarterfinals. There could be no greater motivation for them than to rewrite history. They have never gone beyond the round of 16.
And then there is Brazil!
Brazil, on the other hand, have too many stars in their ranks. There is Neymar, Vinicius Junior and many more. They haven’t won the World Cup since 2002, too long a period for a country of that reputation. In terms of fan following, they are the biggest team in the world. After a draw against Morocco in their opener, they have played some really good football. In their round of 32 game against Japan, they were particularly good.
They haven’t exactly played like they are normally expected to but they still have got the results. Their immense experience and stature should take them through, but then anything can happen. It’s a game of glorious uncertainties. The Netherlands and Germany have been knocked out by lesser teams already. It can happen again, especially if the opposition team has a force of nature in their ranks. By the way, Norway had beaten Brazil in 1998 during the group stages! This time it could be in a knockout, who knows? There is a first time for everything.
Anyway, since one of them will be out in the round of 16, let’s just hope it’s a cracker of a game, so good that one doesn’t feel the heartbreak in the euphoria of great football.
