Ståle Solbakken described the match as “the greatest day in Norwegian football history” while Erling Haaland referred to it as one of “I think that all Norwegian citizens are experiencing the night of a lifetime,” Norwegian fans now have much to celebrate, as the national team has advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time after a well-deserved 2-1 victory against Brazil.
Haaland’s late goals clinched the match, sending fans into a frenzy back home. In the early hours, tens of thousands flooded the streets of Oslo, with spontaneous celebrations erupting outside the royal palace, where Crown Prince Haakon welcomed fans wearing a Norway scarf.
“They will probably party for a week or so. Erling was our match-winner but I’m happy that everyone played their game on the greatest night in Norwegian football history. Everyone played their part. “This is a great group. They love being together, they train well, they help each other and protect each other. We have a strong culture and we have an opportunity to let people be themselves and say whatever they want. That’s very important both when things go well and when they don’t.” Solbakken expressed. “I wish I was on those streets; I wish I was involved in it,”
“Everyone has to enjoy themselves. All of Norway has to enjoy themselves. It’s one of the sickest days ever in Norwegian history. You just have to enjoy it, because this is sick.”
“You have to have faith in what you do,” Haaland remarked about the celebrations. “You have to follow your gut feeling. It could go both ways. It was a chess game.”
A crucial half-time substitution turned the tide in this tightly contested match, with Solbakken admitting that switching his wingers was an instinctive choice aimed at enhancing possession in critical areas. “I tried, I tried … Now it’s over,” he noted. “Everyone is profoundly disappointed,”
Brazil’s Neymar netted a penalty deep into stoppage time, while Bruno Guimarães had his own first-half penalty saved when the score was still 0-0. Carlo Ancelotti, who took over as Brazil’s manager just over a year ago, now faces scrutiny as the team enters a post-tournament phase. Following the match, Neymar hinted at his international retirement, saying, “I think we didn’t do a spectacular World Cup but we did a good one and we even deserved to win this match at some points. This is a defeat, and we have to continue doing our jobs continuing to improve. It’s not the end, it’s the beginning of a new cycle.” Ancelotti emphasized the need for the Seleção to integrate a new generation of talent.
“Everyone is profoundly disappointed,” Ancelotti stated. “I think we didn’t have a spectacular World Cup, but we played well and even deserved to win this match at times. This defeat is a setback, but we must continue our work and strive for improvement. It’s not the end; it’s the beginning of a new cycle.”
