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We’re going to need a bigger longboat. Norway are into the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time ever after edging this contest thanks to the man whose smile, and choice in cowboy apparel, has charmed the USA. Erling Haaland delivered again for his country, scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes – his sixth and seventh of the tournament – to send Brazil back home and keep the Viking invasion rolling on.

The result is a massive vindication for Ståle Solbakken and the team he has built over the past half decade. Norway set out to dominate Brazil in the first half, without much in the way of success. A double substitution at half-time signalled a shift in approach and on the counterattack Norway proved able to carve open a Brazil side which had their chances in this match but failed to take them.

Such a prospect was never likely with Haaland, who scored two goals from his four shots in the match. The opening goal came with nine minutes to go, a cross from the substitute winger Andreas Schjelderup met with a towering leap above Gabriel Magalhães and a dagger header past Allison. As the game passed into added time Haaland struck again, given time and space on the edge of the Brazil box to convert a Schjelderup pass low across goal. Norway’s talisman celebrated largely by just standing and smiling. His colleagues and the streak of Norwegian supporters behind the goal did the rest.

Full report to follow