Erling Haaland scored twice to send Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals, while 10-man England held off tournament co-host Mexico in a dramatic night at Estadio Azteca.
Norway delivered one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, eliminating five-time champion Brazil with a stunning 2-1 victory.
Later that night, England survived a red card, relentless pressure and 11 minutes of stoppage time to defeat Mexico 3-2 in front of more than 80,000 fans at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
The two European teams will now meet in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11.
Haaland Sends Brazil Home
Erling Haaland once again proved that he does not need many opportunities to decide a game.
The Norwegian striker had only a handful of touches inside Brazil’s penalty area, but he made the most important one count in the 79th minute, finishing clinically to give Norway the lead.
Haaland struck again approximately 10 minutes later, this time scoring from outside the box to put Norway firmly in control.
Brazil pulled one back through Neymar’s late penalty, but there was not enough time to complete a comeback.
The result marked Brazil’s earliest World Cup exit since 1990, ending the country’s hopes of winning a record-extending sixth title under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Brazil will also regret an earlier missed penalty by Bruno Guimarães, which could have changed the direction of the game.
For Norway, the victory represented another historic moment in a remarkable tournament. The country is competing at its first World Cup since 1998 and is now among the final eight teams.
Haaland has been central to that success.
The Manchester City forward has scored seven goals in four appearances at the tournament, placing him alongside Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart.
He scored twice against Iraq and Senegal during the group stage before being rested, along with several other starters, for Norway’s final group match against France. That decision appears to have paid off, with Haaland producing decisive performances in the knockout stage.
His international record is equally impressive. Haaland has scored 62 goals in 54 senior appearances for Norway, with only six of those goals coming from penalties.
He has also found the net in each of his last 14 competitive appearances for the national team.
With their star striker in this kind of form, Norway’s players and supporters may now believe that an even deeper run is possible.
England Holds On at Estadio Azteca
England’s victory over Mexico produced even more drama.
The match was delayed for approximately an hour because of a powerful storm, but once play began, England quickly took control of the occasion.
Jude Bellingham scored twice in less than two minutes, finding the net in the 36th and 38th minutes to give England a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Mexico responded before halftime through Julián Quiñones, bringing the home crowd back into the contest.
The atmosphere became even more intense early in the second half when England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off following a heavy challenge on Jesús Gallardo.
Playing with 10 men from the 54th minute, England faced sustained pressure from the tournament co-hosts.
However, instead of conceding an equalizer, England restored its two-goal lead. Harry Kane converted a penalty after Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the box.
Mexico refused to surrender.
Kane later conceded a penalty at the opposite end after bringing down Brian Gutiérrez. Raúl Jiménez converted the spot kick to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finish.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made several important saves during the match, including key stops against Jiménez, as Mexico pushed forward in search of an equalizer.
During 11 minutes of stoppage time, England’s players dropped deep around their own penalty area and focused almost entirely on protecting the lead.
They ultimately held on, handing Mexico only its third competitive defeat in 89 matches at the famous Estadio Azteca.
The victory sends England into a quarterfinal meeting with Norway — and sets up an intriguing battle between two of the tournament’s most influential players: Bellingham and Haaland.
Both scored twice on Sunday. Only one will continue toward the World Cup semifinals.
