Haaland hailed as world‍‍`s best goalscorer after Norway‍‍`s historic win

Erling Haaland earned widespread praise after scoring a dramatic late winner to send Norway into the World Cup last 16 with a historic 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.

The Manchester City striker struck in the 86th minute to seal Norway‍‍`s first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match, setting up a Round of 16 clash against Brazil.

Haaland‍‍`s fifth goal of the tournament took his tally to five in just three appearances, leaving him one behind leading scorer Lionel Messi.

Despite playing a relatively quiet match, the 25-year-old made the decisive contribution when he converted Norway‍‍`s winning goal late in the second half.

After the final whistle, Haaland led his teammates in the now-familiar "Viking Row" celebration before describing the victory as a historic moment for Norwegian football.

Norway captain Martin Odegaard said the team always believes it has a chance with Haaland leading the attack, praising his ability to make the difference in crucial moments.

Head coach Stale Solbakken described Haaland as "the greatest goalscorer in the world," saying the striker brings confidence to the entire team even when he is not heavily involved in the game.

Solbakken also praised Haaland‍‍`s all-round play, saying the forward‍‍`s ability to protect possession is often overlooked.

Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo admitted his side paid the price for giving Haaland too much space, saying a striker of his quality needs only one opportunity to decide a match.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney echoed the praise, describing Haaland as "devastating" and saying the striker continues to prove why he belongs among the world‍‍`s elite players.

Norway will now face five-time champions Brazil for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.