In a night of pure World Cup drama, Norway pulled off one of the greatest upsets in tournament history, stunning five-time champions Brazil with a historic 2-1 victory to secure their first-ever spot in the quarterfinals.
Modern talisman Erling Haaland was the hero of the hour, netting a sensational brace that paralyzed the Seleção defense and sent shockwaves through the footballing world. Norway’s historic triumph sets up a blockbuster quarterfinal clash against England.
For Brazil, the defeat marks a devastating and lackluster end to their campaign, casting a somber shadow over what was widely expected to be Neymar’s final appearance on the world stage.
Despite a late glimmer of hope when Neymar converted a clinical penalty during his “last dance,” Brazil ultimately paid the price for a sluggish, uninspired performance.
The South American giants crashed out prematurely, leaving fans to mourn the end of an era for their legendary number 10.
Meanwhile, England booked their own ticket to the quarterfinals by surviving an absolute classic against Mexico, emerging with a breathless 3-2 victory.
The Three Lions looked completely in control early on thanks to a stunning, rapid-fire brace from Jude Bellingham, who scored twice in just over 90 seconds to put England in dreamland.
However, Mexico refused to back down, and Julián Quiñones quickly halved the deficit from a corner just before the half-time whistle, setting up a chaotic second half.
The drama escalated significantly after the interval when England defender Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for a high-leg challenge, leaving the Three Lions to navigate a grueling final stretch with ten men.
Moments later, Anthony Gordon was felled inside the box, allowing captain Harry Kane to step up and coolly restore the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot.
The breathing room was short-lived, as VAR quickly intervened at the other end to adjudge that Kane had fouled Brian Gutiérrez in the area.
Raúl Jiménez confidently converted the ensuing penalty from 12 yards to bring El Tri within one, but a resilient England dug deep under immense pressure for the final half-hour to preserve their lead and book their highly anticipated date with Norway.
