A pair of Viking 'divine ponytails' eliminate Brazil

Before tonight, if you googled Brazil + World Cups + ponytail, the profound image of Roberto Baggio, hands on hips and his 'divine ponytail' head bowed after missing the decisive spot kick in the 1994 final, would have featured prominently in the searches.

Now, the ponytail divinity stack has been updated, and a couple of Vikings should feature alongside the crestfallen Italian icon. One is the striker Erling Haaland, with an unmistakable blonde, slicked-back ponytail, and the other is the goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, with his locks neatly tucked into a bun.

The two warriors had a decisive impact at either end of the pitch, sending Norway through to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 2-1 win over Brazil in New Jersey.

Haaland scored twice, with a thumping header in the 79th minute, and a whiplash of a left-footer in the 90th, while Nyland saved a penalty in the 14th minute and called bluff on almost every other Brazilian trick with a handful of outstanding saves.

The one kick that Nyland couldn’t pick was a late Neymar penalty in the 10th minute of added time (7 minutes). It was just a consolation for the Brazilians, and merely a postcard moment for their talisman, who was introduced off the bench in the 67th minute. Neymar, still lacking match fitness, had played just 15 minutes across the group stages, and now he’s got nothing to play for.

Brazil bet heavily on Italian master tactician Carlo Ancelotti, but even he couldn't turn their misfortune around. The canaries have gone 24 summers without a title, but now must also deal with the ignominy of failing to reach a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time since 1990.

The Vikings have come too far, as the quarterfinals are their best run yet in a World Cup. Only a fool, though, would bet against their chances of advancing further in the competition because all they need is a cross like the one Andreas Schjelderup swung into the box, and a poacher like Haaland, to get a header on.

Crosses could be blocked, but who is going to stop the goal machine from unleashing worldies outside the box when the defenders are too lazy to close in? Norway await the winner of Mexico-England in the quarterfinals in Miami on July 11.