Norway Books Round of 16 Spot at World Cup Courtesy of Haaland, While France and Mexico Eye Berths in Next Stage

Norway has secured its first-ever World Cup knockout victory, defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday, with Erling Haaland scoring the winning goal in the 86th minute, while France and Mexico also aim to advance to the last 16.

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Haaland's winner came after Amad Diallo had equalized for Ivory Coast, following Antonio Nusa's opener for Norway, and the Norwegian team will now face Brazil in the last 16 on Sunday.

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The Norwegians, who had previously been beaten in their opening knockout round appearances in 1938 and 1998, will have a chance to reach the quarter-finals with a win over Brazil.

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Haaland, the Manchester City striker, took his tournament tally to five goals, one behind top scorer Lionel Messi, who has six goals, and will head into the meeting with Brazil brimming with confidence.

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Ivory Coast's Diallo came close to scoring an injury-time equalizer, but his curling free-kick was saved by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, securing the win for Norway.

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The victory vindicated Norway coach Stale Solbakken, who had faced criticism for benching Haaland and fielding a second-string team in their final group game, a 4-1 loss to France, last week.

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Later on Tuesday, France will aim to seal their place in the last 16 when they take on Sweden in New Jersey, while co-hosts Mexico will face Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca.

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Sweden will need to find a way to contain France's attacking lineup, which includes Kylian Mbappe, who has scored four times in the tournament, as well as Ousmane Dembele, who scored a hat-trick in the win over Norway.

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France's attacking trio also includes Michael Olise, whose runs at defenders have been causing problems, and with their attacking swagger and midfield flair, Les Bleus appear well-placed to reach their third final in as many World Cups.

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However, France's defense may be a concern, and Sweden have their own high-profile forward line, including Premier League duo Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, who will try to unlock it.

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Sweden coach Graham Potter said his team would have to produce something special to beat France, stating that "they have quality all over" and have won the World Cup before.

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Potter added that France have a "fantastic manager" and that an "exciting challenge awaits us, and we will have to play the game of our lives, clearly".

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Mexico, meanwhile, have the added bonus of knowing that if they beat Ecuador, they will remain in their capital city to face the winner of the tie between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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On Monday, Paraguay stunned Germany in a penalty shootout after holding them to a 1-1 draw after extra time in Foxborough, with coach Gustavo Alfaro saying "this qualification is for all Paraguayans who believed in us".

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Paraguay's president called a national holiday to celebrate the win, while in Germany, there was soul-searching about the slide of the four-time champions since they last won the tournament in 2014.

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Coach Julian Nagelsmann has shouldered much of the blame for the defeat, with German football magazine Kicker calling it a "damning indictment and proof that Germany is drifting further and further away from the world's elite in football".

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Morocco won their own shootout to eliminate the Netherlands after an enthralling contest in Monterrey, with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saving the Netherlands' fifth penalty from Crysencio Summerville.

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Then, striker Ismael Saibari stepped up to blast home the winning effort for the Atlas Lions, securing Morocco's place in the next round.

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Brazil came from behind to overcome Japan 2-1 and advance to Sunday's date with Norway, setting up an exciting matchup in the last 16.