Norway Seals World Cup Return After Thrilling Win Over Italy
In a stunning conclusion to their qualifying campaign, Norway secured a 4-1 victory over Italy in their final group match, condemning the hosts to the playoffs and sending the Scandinavians back to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. The win propelled Norway to a perfect record of eight wins and six points ahead of Italy.
Italy, who have missed out on the tournament in two consecutive editions, needed a nine-goal win due to Norway's superior goal difference but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Francesco Pio Esposito gave Italy an early lead just after the 10-minute mark with a close-range finish. However, Norway responded strongly in the second half, equalizing through Nusa in the 63rd minute before Erling Haaland sealed the win with two goals, including a spectacular volley in the 78th minute that left Italy unmarked.
Haaland's impressive display took his tally for the campaign to 16, and Jørgen Strand Larsen added a fourth goal in stoppage time to seal Norway's spot at the World Cup. The victory marked a triumphant return to the tournament for Norway, who will now face new challenges in the playoffs.
Portugal, meanwhile, sealed their automatic qualification with a convincing 9-1 win over Armenia, featuring hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and João Neves. Portugal's win ensured that Cristiano Ronaldo would get the opportunity to play at his sixth World Cup, as they topped Group F with 13 points.
Ukraine secured their playoff spot by beating Iceland 2-0 in a tight encounter. Oleksandr Zubkov delivered his first international goal for three years in the 83rd minute, and Oleksii Hutsuliak's stoppage-time effort sealed the result. France, meanwhile, overcame Azerbaijan 3-1 away to wrap up their campaign, while Democratic Republic of Congo kept alive hopes of a World Cup place by beating Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
In a stunning conclusion to their qualifying campaign, Norway secured a 4-1 victory over Italy in their final group match, condemning the hosts to the playoffs and sending the Scandinavians back to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. The win propelled Norway to a perfect record of eight wins and six points ahead of Italy.
Italy, who have missed out on the tournament in two consecutive editions, needed a nine-goal win due to Norway's superior goal difference but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Francesco Pio Esposito gave Italy an early lead just after the 10-minute mark with a close-range finish. However, Norway responded strongly in the second half, equalizing through Nusa in the 63rd minute before Erling Haaland sealed the win with two goals, including a spectacular volley in the 78th minute that left Italy unmarked.
Haaland's impressive display took his tally for the campaign to 16, and Jørgen Strand Larsen added a fourth goal in stoppage time to seal Norway's spot at the World Cup. The victory marked a triumphant return to the tournament for Norway, who will now face new challenges in the playoffs.
Portugal, meanwhile, sealed their automatic qualification with a convincing 9-1 win over Armenia, featuring hat-tricks from Bruno Fernandes and João Neves. Portugal's win ensured that Cristiano Ronaldo would get the opportunity to play at his sixth World Cup, as they topped Group F with 13 points.
Ukraine secured their playoff spot by beating Iceland 2-0 in a tight encounter. Oleksandr Zubkov delivered his first international goal for three years in the 83rd minute, and Oleksii Hutsuliak's stoppage-time effort sealed the result. France, meanwhile, overcame Azerbaijan 3-1 away to wrap up their campaign, while Democratic Republic of Congo kept alive hopes of a World Cup place by beating Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
OMG what an epic win for Norway!!! 
I'm still reeling from that stunning volley by Erling Haaland 
! The energy must've been electric at the stadium, and I can imagine the entire nation is ecstatic about this momentous return to the World Cup 
! Eight wins in a row? That's insane! Norway's squad looked solid, and Haaland just took his game to another level 
. Now, onto those playoffs – bring it on! 
! I mean, 4-1 is a huge scoreline, and Haaland's goals were INSANE 
! He's literally one of the best players in the world right now, and it was amazing to see him shine on the biggest stage. Norway's squad has been on fire this whole tournament, and I'm so stoked for them 
! The playoffs are gonna be tough, but they're definitely a team to watch 
it's gonna be an interesting playoffs, can't wait to see who they'll face next 
. And don't even get me started on the penalties - 4-3?! Are you kidding me?! It's like they're just throwing darts at the goal 
. Can't they just have a simple, straightforward knockout stage? 
Norway's comeback is giving me LIFE 
The atmosphere must've been electric at the stadium 
Can't wait to see them in the playoffs and crush it 
Can't wait to see them take on other top teams like Brazil, Spain, and Argentina. The team's teamwork and Haaland's goal-scoring skills are gonna be 
And good luck to Portugal, Ukraine, France, DRC Congo, and Norway in the playoffs! May the best team win 
Norway's thrilling win over Italy is proof that determination and teamwork can take you to new heights! They've got this, team Norway! 
. Now, let's see how Norway handles the playoffs - can they keep this momentum going? 
. Italy was close but couldn't capitalize on their chances 
. The playoffs are going to be interesting now 
- his goal-scoring record is insane!
... they put up an amazing fight and didn't give up, even when things seemed hopeless. And can we talk about how intense that second half was? It's like Norway just turned up the intensity a notch or two 
. And now they're gonna go into the playoffs and probably get knocked out in the first round 
. Meanwhile, Portugal just cruised through with a huge win over Armenia and Cristiano Ronaldo gets to play again... because of course he does 
. The real question is how long will this Norway team stay together before everyone just quits on each other? 
They've got some decent talent but they're not exactly the most experienced squad 
. Like, why did the referee let that goal go? It was super close-range and had to be a handball! 
And then Norway just comes back with like 3 goals in a row? 
Or maybe it was just a super lucky night for Norway? 
Either way, I got my doubts about this one 