To reach the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, Brazil will have to break a historic taboo: beating the Norwegian team.
The meeting between the countries has taken place four times since 1988 — in three friendlies and in the 1998 World Cup, hosted in France.
With the victory over Ivory Coast, this Tuesday (30), the Norwegians guaranteed a place in the round of 16 of the tournament and will face Brazil — classified on Monday (29) after a 2-1 victory over Japan.
The Nordic team arrives for the clash against the Brazilians boasting an exclusive feat: being the team that faced Brazil more than twice without ever losing.
The most emblematic duel between the teams took place at the Vélodrome, in Marseille (France), in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup. Brazil, already classified for the round of 16 at the time, took the lead with a goal from Bebeto.
At 20 years old and wearing the national team’s number 19 shirt, Denílson made an individual play on the left sector of the field. The then left-winger from São Paulo competed for the ball on the ground with a Norwegian defender, got the better of him and crossed into the small area. The then center forward from Botafogo completed it with a header.
Brazil 1-0, 33 minutes into the second half. It would be the third victory in that World Cup, to maintain 100% success before the knockout stage. He would be.
Four minutes later, Norway left everything the same with striker Tore André Flo’s attack. The number 9, at the time at Chelsea, in England, received a throw from the defense field, invaded the area from the left, shot at Júnior Baiano and launched a strong cross shot against the goal defended by Taffarel.
The score went from a draw to a Norwegian triumph in the following minutes. In a dispute over the top in the Brazilian penalty area, North American referee Esfandiar Bahamarst saw Júnior Baiano tug on Flo’s shirt and signaled the penalty for the Nordic team.
The move became controversial. On the field, the Brazilian squad vehemently contested the call, while the Brazilian broadcast echoed: “This judge is a jerk, Arnaldo Cézar Coelho”, shouted Galvão Bueno, the match’s narrator.
Off the field, the matter was clarified the following day, as shown by Sheetand the team led by Mario Zagallo recognized the correctness of the refereeing.
The turning point came from the feet of number 10, Kjetil Rekdal, at the time at Hertha Berlin, in Germany. When taking the shot, Taffarel stretched to the right side, but the midfielder hit the top left corner of the goal, without giving the Brazilian goalkeeper, at the time at Atlético-MG, a chance to save.
Despite the defeat, Brazil advanced to the knockout stages that year to face Chile and beat their South American neighbors 4-1.
UNCOMFORTABLE RETROSPECT
The other meetings between the Brazilian and Norwegian teams took place in friendly matches, with two draws and one defeat for Brazil.
The first friendly was in 1988, in Oslo, the capital of Norway. The home team opened the scoring in the second half, and Brazil sought equality at the end of the game with striker Edmar — recently left Corinthians for Italian football.
A year before the clash in Marseille, for the 1998 World Cup, Brazil played another friendly against Norway. The clash, again in Oslo, ended 4-2 for the Nordics and put an end to the 42-month unbeaten run of the squad led by Zagallo. The team’s goals were scored by Djalminha and Romário.
The last duel between the two countries took place 20 years ago, again on Norwegian soil, and marked Dunga’s debut as coach of the Brazilian national team. The score ended 1-1, after the hosts took the lead. Daniel Carvalho was the scorer of the goal that saved Brazil from another defeat to the same opponent.
The Brazilian team takes the field against Norway on Sunday (5), at 5 pm, at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford (New Jersey).
The meeting will also be marked by the race between Vinicius Jr. and Erling Haaland for the World Cup top scorer. The Brazilian has four goals scored, compared to the Norwegian striker’s five.
Lionel Messi entered the 32-team phase leading the competition among scorers, with six goals.
