The fifth hurdle on the road to a sixth title

On Sunday, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Brazil face Norway in their bid to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

The match promises to be a tough one for both sides.

For Norway, the task will be to take on the five-time world champions, currently ranked fifth in the FIFA rankings.

As for Brazil, although the Norwegians are only 21st in the rankings and have never won a World Cup, there is one statistic that stands out: Norway have never lost to the Brazilian national team. To this day, they remain the only team in the world that can claim this.

On the eve of this clash, it is worth looking back at previous encounters between the two sides and understanding how South American dribblers and Scandinavian giants are approaching this latest chapter in their rivalry.

Chapter One: Oslo, 1988

The first match between Brazil and Norway took place almost 40 years ago, on 28 July 1988.

At the time, Norway was still viewed by many as a minor force in world football. They had competed in just one World Cup, 50 years earlier, and their greatest achievement in men’s football was the bronze medal at the 1936 Olympic Games.

Brazil, on the other hand, was already synonymous with football. The national team were three-time world champions, having won the titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970, whilst Brazilian clubs were also enjoying international prestige.

With an eye on the Seoul Olympic Games, manager Carlos Alberto Silva wanted to put together a strong squad to challenge for the gold medal. To arrive at the tournament in good form and full of confidence, the national team scheduled a series of warm-up friendlies – including their first-ever match against Norway, played at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.

Although the ‘Amarelinha’ boasted a squad full of promising young talents, such as goalkeeper Cláudio Taffarel and striker Romário, it was the home side who took the lead. Early in the second half, striker Jan Åge Fjørtoft, aged just 21, opened the scoring for the Scandinavians.

In the 36th minute of the second half, Edmar, a Corinthians striker and one of the most experienced players in the Brazilian squad, levelled the score after capitalising on a header from Ricardo Gomes. But the then three-time world champions were unable to complete the comeback, and the match ended in a 1–1 draw.

At the time, the result was seen merely as a normal setback at the start of a new cycle for the national team.

As the years went by, however, it became clear that that draw marked the beginning of a trend that would be repeated and cemented throughout the history of the Brazil v Norway fixture.

The night of the ‘Viking defence’: Oslo, 1997

Almost ten years later, on 30 May 1997, Brazil and Norway faced each other once more, again at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.

The friendly served as preparation for the 1998 World Cup in France and was also part of the celebrations for World No Tobacco Day. A comfortable victory for Brazil was expected – perhaps even a rout.

After all, the Seleção were already four-time world champions and boasted a squad packed with stars. Some players from the first encounter, such as Taffarel and Romário, were now established idols, alongside stars such as Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Leonardo, Dunga, Mauro Silva, Djalminha and Ronaldo, who would go on to win his first ‘Ballon d'Or’ months later.

The ‘Amarelinha’ arrived in Oslo on the back of a run of almost three and a half years without defeat. Their last defeat had come against Germany in November 1993.

Under the guidance of Mário Zagallo, the 1970 World Cup-winning manager, Brazil had yet another reason to be confident of a good result: Norway were without one of their key players, Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who had been ruled out through injury.

But all that confidence was shaken right at the start of the match. Norway opened the scoring when Frank Strandli got past Célio Silva and found Petter Rudi, the Sheffield Wednesday striker, unmarked to slot the ball into the net.

The move summed up Brazil’s defensive performance that night: a series of errors.

Less than ten minutes later, Øyvind Leonhardsen received an unmarked cross inside the box and laid it off for Chelsea striker Tore André Flo to double the lead. Neither Célio Silva, at 1.78 m, nor Márcio Santos, at 1.87 m, managed to contain the Norwegian centre-forward, who stood at 1.92 m.

Shortly afterwards, Djalminha pulled one back for Brazil with a fine strike from outside the box, capping off a brilliant individual run by Romário. The comeback, however, was short-lived. André Flo once again capitalised on further errors by the Brazilian defence to score Norway’s third goal.

In the second half, Romário was at the heart of another great move that resulted in another Brazilian goal. But, once again, it was not enough. In the 31st minute of the second half, the Amarelinha defence faltered again, leaving Egil Østenstad completely unmarked in the box to seal the 4–2 victory.

Before the match, Zagallo had criticised coach Egil Olsen’s so-called ‘Viking defensive tactics’, advocating a more open and attacking style of play.

In the end, however, the Norwegians’ plan worked perfectly.

The team maintained their 4-5-1 formation for virtually the entire match, relying on Erik Mykland’s creativity and high balls into the box to exploit the physical strength of their strikers.

And, contrary to Zagallo’s fears, the match was anything but dull: there were six goals in total.

The Brazilian national team had not conceded four goals in a single match since their 4–0 defeat to Denmark in June 1989.

After the match, although he also complained about the cold and the poor pitch conditions, Zagallo acknowledged the home side’s superiority, admitting: “Brazil were very disorganised.” (Folha de São Paulo)

The World Cup comeback: Marseille, 1998

Coincidentally, the next meeting between Brazil and Norway took place just one year later, on 23 June 1998.

The reason? Both teams were drawn in the same group at the World Cup in France and faced each other once more, this time at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille.

Interestingly, the group also included Morocco and Scotland – exactly the same teams that shared the group with Brazil in this World Cup.

The match against Norway brought the group stage to a close. Brazil had already won their first two matches, had six points and were guaranteed top spot. Regardless of the result, qualification for the round of 16 was already assured.

For the Norwegians, however, the situation was completely different. With just two points and Morocco having won their match, only a victory would keep the team in the competition. It was win or say goodbye to the World Cup.

The match was played on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Just over an hour before kick-off, FIFA organised a wedding ceremony on the pitch at the Vélodrome between a Brazilian bride and a Norwegian groom, celebrating the symbolic union between the two countries.

When the match began, however, the friendly atmosphere was left behind. The stadium became the scene of an intense battle between the South Americans and the Europeans.

The score remained goalless for much of the second half. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Bebeto opened the scoring with a header following a precise cross from Denílson, who had come into the starting line-up due to César Sampaio’s suspension.

Convinced of victory, the Brazilian supporters began taunting the Norwegians, chanting “eliminated!” from the stands.

However, apart from the move that led to the goal, Brazil created little else. Even with one of the most talented squads in the entire World Cup, the team struggled to turn their technical superiority into clear-cut chances.

And that lack of efficiency would ultimately prove costly.

In the 38th minute of the second half, Rivaldo lost the ball in midfield, and the move ended at the feet of Tore André Flo. Just as he had done in the friendly the previous year, the striker beat Júnior Baiano in a one-on-one and slotted past the onrushing Taffarel to equalise.

The Norwegian comeback was not over yet.

A few minutes later, Flo once again got the better of Júnior Baiano inside the box and was eventually brought down by the defender. Penalty.

Kjetil Rekdal, the experienced Hertha BSC midfielder, stepped up and converted the spot-kick.

Final whistle: 2–1 to Norway.

The victory secured the ‘Vikings’ first-ever place in the knockout stages of a World Cup and has gone down in Norwegian footballing history.

Although their campaign came to an end in the round of 16 against Italy, that victory over Brazil inspired books, documentaries, news reports and even an opera in the country.

As for the future five-time world champions, they left Marseille reeling after suffering their first-ever defeat to the Norwegians.

The new chapter: Oslo, 2006

The next meeting between Brazil and Norway would not take place until almost a decade later, on 16 August 2006.

Once again, the venue was Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.

The friendly took place shortly after the 2006 World Cup. Norway had not even qualified for the tournament, whilst Brazil were coming off the back of a frustrating campaign. Despite being tipped as hot favourites to win the title and boasting a squad packed with some of the biggest names in football history, the Seleção were eventually knocked out by France in the quarter-finals.

The disappointment cost Carlos Alberto Parreira his job. He was replaced by Dunga, then aged 42, a World Cup winner as a player in 1994 and still at the start of his coaching career.

The friendly against Norway was to mark his debut in charge of the national team.

Following the harsh criticism Brazil had faced at the World Cup, Dunga carried out a radical overhaul. In his first squad selection, he left out all the stars of the so-called “Magic Square” – Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká and Adriano – as well as players such as Dida, Cafu and Roberto Carlos.

The message was clear: the priority would no longer be individual brilliance, but rather the collective effort. As the manager himself put it: “The Brazilian national team must be the star. If anyone puts themselves above the team, the project is already off to a bad start.” (Folha de São Paulo)

The new attack now featured players such as Robinho, Fred, Elano, Daniel Carvalho, Vágner Love and Júlio Baptista.

Dunga also had a personal reason for wanting to beat Norway. He had been part of the team defeated by the Norwegians in 1997 and 1998.

His assistant, former full-back Jorginho, also knew the opposition well, having been on the pitch for the first match between the two sides in 1988.

The coaching staff and players took to the pitch determined to secure Brazil’s first victory over the Norwegians. The team showed intensity and created some good attacking moves, but a lack of cohesion proved a problem – the squad had only had one training session before the match – and they were unable to break down the opposition’s defence.

It seemed as though history was about to repeat itself.

Early in the second half, Morten Gamst Pedersen, then a midfielder for Blackburn Rovers, struck a free-kick with precision to put Norway ahead.

The goal, however, did not unsettle Brazil as it had in previous encounters. Just over ten minutes later, Fred played a one-two with Daniel Carvalho, who finished to level the match.

In the closing minutes, both teams still had chances to snatch victory. Fred threatened for Brazil, whilst John Arne Riise responded for Norway.

Neither player managed to find the net, and the match ended in a 1–1 draw.

The next chapter: East Rutherford, 2026

Ten years have passed since that last encounter between the two sides, and the fact remains: Norway is the only team Brazil has never managed to beat.

In four matches between the two nations, Brazil have suffered two defeats and drawn twice, scoring five goals and conceding eight.

Almost half of Norway’s goals – three in total – were scored by Tore André Flo, a name that still lingers in the memory of many Brazilian fans who saw him dominate goalkeepers with his physical strength and precision in front of goal.

The striker is among the few Norwegians to have been nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award. He was nominated in 1998, the very year he helped his national team beat Brazil at the World Cup.

Other Norwegian players who have been nominated for the award include: Rune Bratseth (1992 and 1993), Bent Skammelsrud (1997), Erling Haaland (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and Martin Ødegaard (2023 and 2024).

Much to the frustration of some Brazilian fans, the latter two remain key players in the current national team.

Haaland, the 1.95m Manchester City striker and winner of the Gerd Müller Trophy in 2023 as the season’s top scorer, is already Norway’s all-time leading goalscorer with 60 goals, despite being only 25 years old.

In this year’s clash, it will fall to Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães – a frequent opponent of Haaland’s in the Premier League – and Marquinhos, captain of Paris Saint-Germain during their recent Champions League triumphs, to try and contain the Norwegian centre-forward.

An interesting detail: Erling’s father, former full-back Alf-Inge Haaland, was on the pitch for Norway’s victory over Brazil in 1997.

So far, his son has scored five goals in this World Cup – Norway’s first appearance since the historic 1998 tournament. Ødegaard, for his part, has yet to score, but has already provided three decisive assists.

Even so, the statistics do not make Brazil an ‘underdog’ in this fixture.

After all, the Seleção has, throughout its history, amassed a huge list of players nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’, including four winners – Ronaldo (1997 and 2002), Rivaldo (1999), Ronaldinho (2005) and Kaká (2007) – as well as names from the current squad, such as Alisson (2018 and 2019), Marquinhos (2019), Casemiro (2022), Fabinho (2022), Neymar (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021), Raphinha (2025) and Vinícius Júnior (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025).

Furthermore, Brazil is the only national team to have won five World Cups and taken part in every edition of the tournament, racking up 79 wins and 246 goals in 118 matches.

Norway, for its part, has only taken part in four World Cups – 1938, 1994, 1998 and 2026 – with five wins, five defeats and 17 goals scored in 12 matches played.

But the statistics for the two teams in this World Cup have not been all that different.

Both have won three of the four matches played so far: Brazil drew one (against Morocco), whilst Norway suffered one defeat (against France).

Brazil have scored nine goals in those matches, whilst Norway have scored ten.

Defensively, the South Americans have conceded just two goals so far, whilst the Scandinavians have conceded five.

Even so, the pressure is greater on the Brazilian side, as they attempt to put the so-called “Norwegian curse” behind them and continue their quest for a dream sixth World Cup title.

Kjetil Rekdal, who scored the winning goal against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, believes this could work in Norway’s favour: “Brazil will certainly be under more pressure on Sunday. That fear will always be there – the fear that they might stumble against Norway again.” (Reuters)

Last Tuesday, the “Vikings” secured their first World Cup knockout stage victory, beating Ivory Coast to advance to the round of 16. Now, they are looking to build on that momentum with the same competitive spirit.

On the other side, Haaland – the team’s star player – strikes a much more relaxed note ahead of the clash. The striker said: “I’m rooting for Brazil. I have lots of friends there, I know lots of people. It’s going to be a special match. I like the country and their style of play.” (GE)

It remains to be seen how it will all play out on Sunday.

Will Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil finally manage to break the ‘Norwegian curse’? Or will the Vikings once again thwart the ‘Amarelinha’s’ plans and postpone their dream of a sixth World Cup title?

We’ll find out soon.