The Round of 16 delivered two of the tournament's most dramatic afternoons yet on July 5, as Norway shocked five-time champions Brazil at MetLife Stadium and England survived a Mexico City cauldron to book a mouth-watering quarterfinal date with each other in Miami. Fans got goals, a red card, a delayed kickoff, and a superstar reminding everyone exactly why he is one of the best in the world.
Haaland Does It Again
Erling Haaland has made a habit of arriving fashionably late to the party, and in East Rutherford he turned up right when Norway needed him most. With the scoreline still blank deep into the second half, the Manchester City striker rose above Arsenal defender Gabriel to power home a header from Andreas Schjelderup's pinpoint cross in the 79th minute, sending the Norwegian end of the stadium into delirium. He was not finished. In the 90th minute, Haaland collected another ball from Schjelderup just outside the box and arrowed an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Brazil pulled one back in agonizing fashion, winning a penalty in the tenth minute of stoppage time after substitute Leo Ostigard clattered into Casemiro, and Neymar duly converted. It was far too little, far too late. Norway held on for a 2-1 win that sends them into their first-ever World Cup quarterfinal, and their first World Cup appearance in 28 years. Haaland's brace took him to seven goals for the tournament and stretched his scoring streak to fourteen consecutive appearances for his country, numbers that belong among the game's greats. Brazil also had a first-half penalty of their own saved by goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, and had an early Patrick Berg goal chalked off for offside at the other end, so there was late-match heartbreak all over the pitch, just mostly for the Selecao.
Bellingham's Blitz
Over in Mexico City, Estadio Azteca served up a rollercoaster that will live long in the memory of everyone who packed into the stands, including the more than two kilometers of thin air the players had to contend with. After a weather delay pushed kickoff back an hour for an incoming storm, Jude Bellingham turned the game on its head with a stunning quickfire double, striking in the 36th and 38th minutes to put England 2-0 up in the space of less than two minutes of match time. The Azteca crowd, deflated but never silent, found its voice again just four minutes later when Julian Quinones pulled one back for the co-hosts right before the break, turning a laugher into a genuine contest heading into halftime.
Ten Men, One Result
The second half brought serious drama. In the 54th minute, referee Alireza Faghani was sent to the pitchside monitor for a VAR review of a challenge by England's Jarell Quansah on Jesus Gallardo, and after a lengthy look, out came the red card. England, needing to see out more than half an hour a man light in the world's highest-profile stadium at altitude, responded almost immediately: Harry Kane calmly converted a penalty in the 60th minute after Raul Rangel tripped Anthony Gordon, restoring the two-goal cushion. Mexico refused to fold, and Raul Jimenez slotted home a penalty of his own in the 69th minute to make it 3-2 and set up a nervy final act. What followed was backs-to-the-wall defending of the highest order, with Thomas Tuchel's ten men somehow repelling everything Mexico could throw at them to close out a famous win. It eliminated the co-hosts in front of their own supporters, a cruel outcome for a Mexico side that gave absolutely everything, but a testament to the resilience England showed once they were down to ten.
Miami Awaits
Both results set up a blockbuster quarterfinal: Norway's fairytale run continues against an England side that proved it can win pretty and win ugly in the same tournament, with the two meeting next in Miami. For Brazil and Mexico, the story is over for now, but neither side left with any regrets, going toe to toe with the eventual winners until the very end. If the rest of the knockout rounds bring even half the drama of July 5, the World Cup is in for quite a ride.