History could be Norway's secret World Cup weapon against Brazil

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 30: Stale Solbakken Manager / Head Coach of Norway during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Cote D'Ivoire and Norway at Dallas Stadium on June 30, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images).

Norway's dramatic round of 32 win over Ivory Coast put Stale Solbakken's team in the firing line of the World Cup's greatest nation.

Brazil have won the competition five times and have never failed to qualify. They have a ferocious reputation even now, and have supplied some of the best players and biggest moments the World Cup has ever seen.

There are few situations a World Cup can conjure that don't stack up in Brazil's favour one way or another. As more than one pundit has noted this summer, when you think about the World Cup, you think about Brazil.

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Norway's historical record against Brazil, their round of 16 opponents

Vinicius Junior has scored three times at World Cup 2026 (Image credit: Getty Images)

This already being a World Cup full of surprises, one of those situations has come to pass thanks to a pair of results in first few ties of the round of 32.

Erling Haaland scored his fifth goal of his maiden World Cup campaign to give Norway a late win over Ivory Coast and set up a round of 16 meeting with Brazil, whose comeback victory over Japan was every bit as dramatic.

Erling Haaland (Image credit: Getty Images)

Norway and Brazil will play for a quarter-final spot when they meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in the next round. It will be the fifth match between the nations in senior men's international football.

The Norwegians might wear the underdog label in every tangible regard apart from their world class goalscorer, but that's a familiar feeling for a team without a prior World Cup appearance since 1998.

What they haven't experienced before, during or since that tournament in France, is a loss against the five-time World Cup winners.

Norway's four previous games against Brazil have yielded two wins and two draws. Three of those results were in friendly matches but one of the two wins was at the Velodrome in Marseille in the group stage of Norway's last World Cup.

Bebeto gave Brazil the lead but a late goal from Tore Andre Flo and an even later Kjetil Rekdal penalty secured maximum points and safe passage to the second round for the Norwegians.

Norway salute a job well done in Marseille (Image credit: Getty Images)

The winner of the second World Cup match between Norway and Brazil will face Mexico, Ecuador, England or DR Congo at Miami Stadium in the last eight.

Norway vs Brazil: The Full Historical Record

• Norway 1-1 Brazil (friendly, August 2006)
  
• Brazil 1-2 Norway (World Cup, June 1998)
  
• Norway 4-2 Brazil (friendly, May 1997)
  
• Norway 1-1 Brazil (friendly, July 1988)