Norway confirmed as Brazil's round of 16 opponent

Norway are your next opponent

Costa do Marfim 1–2 Noruega. That result sets up Brazil versus Norway in the round of 16 on Sunday (2). Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard are driving a squad that has adopted a "nós contra o mundo" posture, us against the world (2). Sander Berge and Alexander Sørloth also started in the win.

Danilo Santos likely in for Paquetá

Reports point to Danilo Santos replacing Lucas Paquetá in the starting eleven against Norway (3). Neymar's role is also under scrutiny, with German media describing him as a "statist" in the buildup (6).

Solbakken beat Brazil before

Norway manager Ståle Solbakken already has a World Cup win over Brazil on his CV, from the 1998 group stage (5). Norwegian outlets are revisiting that match this week, framing it as a tactical blueprint. Solbakken was the one who spotted the flaw and acted.

Haaland laughs off Vini Jr. meme

A meme pairing Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior has gone around ahead of Sunday. Haaland saw it and took it well: "I really liked the video, it's funny, I was included as a blonde girl, I laughed a lot, it turned out super funny" (4).

Kickoff time could still move

FIFA is weighing a schedule shift for Brazil versus Norway, tied to what happens with the Mexico-England match (7) (8). Details are thin, but the kickoff in New Jersey may not be locked in yet.

Fan reactions

Fans on r/soccer were quick to note that FIFA has backed away from changing the kickoff times, citing a post by u/Green-Discussion74 link. A collective exhale from supporters who did not want their Sunday plans thrown into chaos.