Solbakken: "It was a real thriller that could have gone either way"

Norway's head coach, Ståle Solbakken, hailed their victory over Brazil and qualification for the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals as the greatest team achievement for his players. Just days prior, the "Vikings" secured their first-ever knockout stage win at a World Cup, and now they've overcome one of the tournament favorites to vie for a semi-final spot against either Mexico or England.

"I believe every Norwegian can savor this evening. It was a true thriller – it could have gone either way. But we played a solid, tactical match. We made a few mistakes that could have cost us dearly. However, overall, things went our way, and we should be proud of that.

Why did they go our way? Well, to some extent, we played like Manchester City against Real Madrid. They sit back and rely on counter-attacks, and we had to wear them down. Because that's what we do best, and I think we handled it well.

Defeating Brazil in a crucial match and reaching the World Cup quarter-finals is perhaps our greatest team achievement," Solbakken stated after the game.