Côte d'Ivoire vs Norway: Haaland's Late Goal Seals Victory

Côte d'Ivoire walked off with nothing, but they left a mark. Norway walked off with Erling Haaland – and that was enough.

A late, ruthless finish from the Manchester City striker settled a gripping contest 2-1, just as the Ivorians were threatening to complete a stirring second-half fightback inspired by Amad Diallo.

Cagey start, brutal punishment

The opening exchanges belonged to caution. Côte d'Ivoire knew exactly what they were up against in the axis of Martin Ødegaard and Haaland, and they approached it with care rather than chaos.

Yan Diomandé was the first to test Norway’s back line, probing from midfield and forcing the Scandinavians to retreat. Emmanuel Agbadou followed with a threat of his own. The Elephants were not overawed; they were edging forward, step by step.

Then came the moment that should have tilted the half. In the 28th minute, Nicolas Pépé found himself with the chance every forward wants: close range, a clear sight, time to pick his spot. He squandered it, failing to hit the target. It felt costly on impact. It proved decisive in retrospect.

Norway wasted no time in punishing the miss. A lapse in concentration at the back opened a window, and Antonio Nusa smashed straight through it. His strike, six minutes before the interval, was emphatic, arrowing beyond Yahia Fofana and dragging the game into Norwegian control with a 1-0 lead.

Diallo changes everything

The pattern flipped after the hour. Elye Wahi and Amad Diallo stepped off the bench, and the match changed tempo.

Côte d'Ivoire suddenly played higher, sharper, angrier. Norway, who had looked comfortable, were now pinned back, forced into hurried clearances as orange shirts swarmed around their box.

Ørjan Nyland stood between the Elephants and parity. He denied Pépé. He denied Franck Kessié. For a spell, it felt like he might deny the entire Ivorian resurgence on his own.

Then the resistance broke.

In the 74th minute, Pépé slipped Diallo into space. The winger did not blink. One touch to steady himself, one cool left-foot finish rolled low past Nyland, and Côte d'Ivoire were level. Deservedly so. The stadium’s energy shifted with the net.

Norway, rattled, looked second best. Côte d'Ivoire, emboldened, looked like the side more likely to win it.

Haaland’s quiet roar

And then, just when the game seemed to belong to the Africans, Haaland reminded everyone why his name sits on every teamsheet in bold.

He had been subdued for most of the second half, starved of clean service, forced to feed on scraps. It did not matter. In the 86th minute, a brief crack appeared in the Ivorian defence. That was all he needed.

One chance. One finish. 2-1 Norway.

Clinical, cold, inevitable.

Agony at the death

Côte d'Ivoire refused to accept the script. They threw bodies forward, chasing another equaliser with the urgency of a team that knew they deserved more than a narrow defeat.

Diallo, again at the heart of it, unleashed a powerful effort that Nyland clawed away with a superb save. The pressure kept coming. Norway retreated deeper, clinging on.

Deep into stoppage time, the moment arrived. Evann Guessand rose and met a cross with a firm header. For a heartbeat, it looked perfect. The trajectory, the timing, the drama. It drifted inches wide.

The final whistle followed almost immediately. Norway celebrated survival and Haaland’s winner. Côte d'Ivoire sank to their knees, left to process a performance that merited at least a point but delivered nothing tangible.

They bow out of the global showpiece with regret, yes, but also with a clear message: with this level of intensity, and with players like Amad Diallo ready to seize the stage, they are not far from turning heartbreak into something far more dangerous.