Erling Haaland produced another World Cup performance as Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 on Sunday to reach FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in men’s team history.The defeat also marked the end of an era for Brazil, with Neymar Jr. announcing his retirement from international football after the match following the shock elimination of the five-time world champions. After a quiet opening for most of the contest, Haaland came back in the final stages, scoring twice to send Norway into the last eight and spark celebrations across the Scandinavian nation. “Maybe this will write history in Norway,” said Haaland. “Everyone is just having fun. This is just an insane day. It is one of the craziest days in Norwegian history. Just enjoy it, embrace it and enjoy the moment.” The turning point came after a second-half hydration break when Norway coach Ståle Solbakken urged his star striker to empty the tank and attack with more intensity. The message had the desired effect. Introduced at half time, Andreas Schjelderup transformed Norway’s attack and created both goals for Haaland. The forward headed home in the 79th minute to put Norway ahead before adding another just over two minutes later with a composed finish through Danilo’s legs. The double took Haaland’s tally to seven goals in the tournament, leveling it Lionel Messi of Argentina and the French Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Shoe. “I felt it was a gift from God that it went into the net,” Haaland said after scoring in a 14th consecutive competitive international match. He has now scored 27 goals during that run and 62 in just 54 appearances for Norway. While Haaland led at one end, veteran goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland ensured Norway kept control at the other. The 35-year-old produced one of the biggest saves of the tournament by breaking narrowly to his left to keep out Bruno Guimarães’ penalty in the 14th minute. He then denied Endrick with another outstanding stop as Brazil chased an equaliser. Nyland was eventually beaten only in stoppage time, when Neymar converted a penalty, reducing the deficit, but arrived too late to prevent Brazil’s elimination. The result marks one of the biggest successes in the history of Norwegian men’s football. Although Norway’s women lifted the World Cup in 1995, the men’s side had previously reached the tournament only four times and had never advanced beyond the round of 16. They had also failed to qualify since 1998 before this campaign. “I think all Norwegian citizens are experiencing the night of life,” said Solbakken. “Some people say we’ve changed Norway forever. They’ll probably party for a week or more.” Norway will now face the winner of Mexico’s Round of 16 clash against England in the quarter-finals in Miami Gardens, Florida. Solbakken revealed that more than a dozen of his friends had already planned the trip to South Florida. For Brazil, the defeat marked another painful exit from the World Cup. Guimarães became the first Brazilian player since Zico in 1986 to miss a penalty during a World Cup. The decision to give him penalty duties instead of Vinícius Júnior immediately came under scrutiny. Coach Carlo Ancelotti defended the choice, explaining that a year’s statistical analysis had identified Guimarães as the designated taker with Neymar absent from the field and Raphinha unavailable through injury. Brazil also missed other promising opportunities, including a move where Casemiro failed to find Neymar with a cross that could have produced an equaliser. “We really missed the opportunities we created,” said captain Marquinhos. “We had a penalty, we also had other chances, but this is the World Cup for you. Those who make the least mistake are able to advance to the next round, and to be victorious.” The five-time world champions dropped out much earlier than expected after entering the tournament among the favourites. It also ended Brazil’s run of eight consecutive World Cup quarter-finals, with the Seleção failing to reach the last eight for the first time since 1990. Brazil have now lost seven World Cup knockout games against European opposition, a run that stretches back to their victory over Germany in the 2002 final. The absence of injured midfielder Lucas Paquetá has further weakened the side. “I went up a couple of times during this tournament, but this was a new peak,” Haaland said.