Ivory Coast’s campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Tuesday night after they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Norway in their Round of 32 encounter at Dallas Stadium.
Erling Haaland scored the winning goal for the European side, finding the back of the net in the 86th minute to send Norway into the Round of 16 and bring the Elephants’ impressive run in the competition to an end.
The contest began on an even footing, with both teams looking to gain an early advantage. Ivory Coast created the first clear opportunity in the 22nd minute, but Ghislain Konan’s effort could only find the side-netting.
The Elephants threatened again seven minutes later when Yan Diomande delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area. Nicolas Pepe met the delivery but could only direct the ball back across goal, allowing the Norwegian defence to clear it behind for a corner.
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Norway eventually broke the deadlock in the 39th minute through Antonio Nusa. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard provided the assist, finding Nusa before the winger shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled a superb finish into the far top corner to make it 1-0.
The Scandinavian side almost doubled their lead just before the halftime whistle. Haaland found himself in a promising position but failed to connect cleanly with the ball, while Emmanuel Agbadou reacted quickly to make an important interception and deny the striker.
Ivory Coast returned from the break with renewed determination in search of an equaliser. Nicolas Pepe came close in the 56th minute, but his low strike was kept out by goalkeeper Ørjan Håskjold Nyland, who made a crucial save with his leg.
Amad Diallo was introduced shortly after the hour mark and immediately influenced the game. The Manchester United winger first cleared Torbjørn Heggem’s effort off the line in the 68th minute before drawing Ivory Coast level six minutes later with a brilliant solo effort.
The 23-year-old combined brilliantly with Nicolas Pepe in a neat one-two before weaving past a couple of Norwegian defenders and calmly curling his finish beyond Nyland to make it 1-1 after a superb individual run.
Norway responded strongly after conceding and regained control of the contest. Their persistence paid off in the 86th minute when Patrick Berg delivered a well-weighted pass into the penalty area for Haaland, who tapped home from close range to restore his side’s lead at 2-1.
Ivory Coast pushed for another equaliser deep into stoppage time and almost found it in the 97th minute. Diallo curled a powerful free-kick towards the top-left corner, but Nyland produced an outstanding save to preserve Norway’s advantage and seal the victory.
The result sends Norway through to the Round of 16, where they will take on five-time champions Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 5. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, bow out of the tournament after an encouraging and spirited World Cup campaign.
