Brazil vs Norway exposed the cost of an uneven midfield

Brazil lost 2-1 to Norway in the World Cup last 16 on 2026-1-2, and Erling Haaland was the decisive figure. He scored twice, in the 79th and 90th minutes, and finished with a 9/10 rating. Brazil had their own chance to change the shape of the game when Bruno Guimarães missed a penalty in the 14th minute.

Norway controlled the middle of the pitch

Haaland's goals were the finish to a match Norway controlled through midfield. Martin Ødegaard completed 109 passes and Sander Berge completed 118, a level of security that kept Brazil chasing the game rather than building their own pressure. Haaland also had 3 shots on target from 4 attempts, which is usually what happens when he gets enough support around him.

Brazil's central pairing was Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães, with Neymar listed among the substitutes before coming on. That starting shape did not give Brazil much control between the lines, and the missed penalty only deepened the problem. Bruno Guimarães ended on a 6/10 rating, while Casemiro was Brazil's highest-rated midfielder at 7.2.

Ancelotti's selection calls came under pressure

Carlo Ancelotti said, "I don't think this is the end. I think this is the start of a new cycle". He also admitted Brazil only had five midfielders in the squad, and later called that a serious lapse. Wesley was injured in the final warm-up game and was replaced by Éderson, which left the group thinner than it should have been.

The selection debate is not hard to see from the match itself. Brazil started in a 4-4-2, then had to lean on Neymar as a substitute to try to change the rhythm. Lucas Paquetá had already been injured in the previous round against Japan, so the midfield pool was stretched before kick-off. Norway did not need anything dramatic to expose it, just patience, passing and two late finishes from Haaland.

This is the kind of defeat that makes a rebuild look more complicated than the manager would like. Ancelotti can still point to progress in the wider run, but Brazil vs Norway showed how quickly control can disappear when the middle of the pitch is undermanned and the game state turns against you.