CHENNAI: Brazil has won the World Cup five times, and yet when it goes up against Norway, the South American giants will be underdogs.
It is incredible that Norway has never lost a single clash against the five-time champions, with the last World Cup meeting between these two coming back in 1998. If those statistics alone are pretty shocking, Norway has two wins against Brazil, with the European side then winning 2-1 in the group stage of the 98 World Cup.
On the famous night in Marseille back in 1998, Brazil took the lead through Bebeto in the 78th minute, and looked certain to walk away with crucial points till Norway came attacking. Goals from Tore Andre Flo in the 83rd minute and Kjetil Rekdal in the 88th minute gave the then strong European attacking unit an incredible 2-1 win over Brazil.
“The night before the game, I had a dream that I would score the winner with a late penalty,” recalled Rekdal in a conversation with FIFA.
“In the dressing room, I was singing that I was going to score the winner with a late penalty. When we were awarded the penalty, Ole Gunnar [Solskjaer] came up to me and said, ‘Now you’ve got the chance to do what you said you were going to do’. I had talked the talk and now had to walk the walk! Fortunately I managed to score. It was a feeling of great relief and joy.”
Then, Norway became the first team in history to survive their first three games against Brazil without suffering defeat – a record that still remains intact. Head coach, Stale Solbakken, knows all about World Cups, and their history, with the former midfielder playing a part in its 0-1 loss against Italy in 1998.
So, when he said, “You are changing not only Norwegian football history, but Norwegian history in general. This is so big. This will never happen again, because we are going to qualify time and time again,” he wasn’t exaggerating.
There’s a renewed belief inside the Norway camp, which means that the Vikings could be more than ready for the contest, with on-song Erling Haaland spearheading the unit. Haaland has already scored five times in the competition, including a winner against Ivory Coast.
The Manchester City striker has already broken multiple goal-scoring records for the country, and is also destined to set a few more on his way as he takes on Gabriel, in a battle that’s worth the popcorn. However, Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti brushed off the big battle, stating that his team is well aware of holding Haaland in his tracks.
“Everyone knows how he works. I have nothing to explain to my defenders how to play against him. They’ve obviously played against him several times,” said Ancelotti.
“I don’t think that there’s such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan. I don’t need to tell my players how to defend.”
28 years of hurt have instantly transformed into moments of joy, as Norway reached the last sixteen. With Brazil up next, the country has a golden opportunity to relive the olden days through their kin, and write a new chapter in its footballing history book.