Côte d'Ivoire Loses 2-1 to Norway in World Cup Round of 32

Côte d'Ivoire lost 2-1 to Norway in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 1 July 2026 at Dallas Stadium. Erling Haaland scored the winning goal for Norway after Amad Diallo had equalized for the Elephants. Diallo entered as a second-half substitute and produced the 74th-minute goal after a one-two exchange with Nicolas Pépé.

The strike was his second of the tournament, following an earlier goal against Ecuador in the group stage. The defeat ended Côte d'Ivoire's campaign but did not erase the significance of their advance from Group E. The Elephants had appeared in three previous World Cups without progressing past the group stage.

"We are really proud of what we achieved," Diallo said. "We are the youngest team in this competition, so we can feel really proud. " "It's a big thing to score that goal because it's a dream come true," he added.

"I always dreamed to play on the biggest stage, so scoring this goal was something crazy. " AllAfrica reported that the 23-year-old Manchester United winger started on the bench but brought energy and directness to the attack after entering the match. The performance, the outlet said, gave supporters hope for a young squad that showed pace and attacking ability throughout the expanded tournament.