Norway End Côte d’Ivoire’s World Cup Dream as Haaland Sends Elephants Home

Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026 FIFA World Cup journey has come to an end after the Elephants suffered a 2-1 defeat to Norway in their Round of 32 clash on Tuesday.

The African champions fought hard in a competitive encounter but could not stop Norway’s attacking threat, with Erling Haaland once again proving decisive on the biggest stage.

Norway took the lead in the first half through Antonio Nusa, putting the Europeans ahead after a strong opening period. Côte d’Ivoire responded after the break, with Manchester United winger Amad Diallo restoring hope for the Elephants with an equaliser in the 72nd minute.

However, Norway’s biggest star delivered when it mattered most. Haaland scored his fifth goal of the tournament to seal qualification for his country and end Côte d’Ivoire’s impressive campaign.

The defeat means the Elephants become the third African team eliminated from the competition, following the exits of South Africa and Tunisia.

Côte d’Ivoire’s early departure will be a painful one for African football supporters, especially after the team arrived with a young and energetic squad capable of competing against stronger nations. Their performance showed promise, but at this level, moments of quality often decide survival — and Norway had one in Haaland.

For Norway, the victory continues their historic World Cup run, while Haaland’s influence is becoming impossible to ignore. The Manchester City striker is showing that his goalscoring ability is not limited to club football, and his hunger could make Norway one of the teams nobody wants to face in the knockout stages.