Andreas Schjelderup Shines as Norway Upsets Brazil at World Cup
Andreas Schjelderup walked onto the pitch on Sunday as a half-time substitute. He walked off it as one of the breakout names of this World Cup.
The 22-year-old Benfica winger ripped Brazil apart in a dizzying second-half cameo, driving Norway to a stunning 2-1 win in the last 16 and forcing Premier League recruiters to sit up and take notice. Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool were already tracking him. Now the chase feels a lot more urgent.
A World Cup cameo that changed everything
Norway trailed at the break and needed a spark. Stale Solbakken turned to Schjelderup, withdrawing Antonio Nusa, who had shown flashes without ever really hurting Brazil.
Schjelderup wasted no time. He picked up the ball, drove at defenders, and immediately looked to feed Erling Haaland. He completed a successful dribble, made five recoveries, and constantly pushed Norway up the pitch. Every touch had intent.
He almost broke the deadlock himself, too. A sharp snapshot forced Alisson into a smart save, the first real warning sign that Brazil were losing control of their left flank.
The pressure finally told. Schjelderup burned past his marker on the outside, glanced up, and dropped a looping, teasing cross into the box. Haaland attacked it, met it cleanly, and buried the header. Norway were level, and Brazil were rattled.
Minutes later, the pair combined again. The second assist was simpler – a straightforward pass into Haaland’s path, 23 yards from goal – but the finish was ruthless, the Manchester City striker drilling into the bottom corner. Two goals, two assists, one game flipped on its head.
Behind the highlight moments lay a performance of real maturity. Schjelderup completed 25 of his 27 passes, worked back diligently with a tackle and an interception, and never once looked overawed by the stage or the opponent. For a player who has started only one match at this World Cup, his impact has been remarkable: an assist and one of Norway’s standout displays in a 4-1 defeat to France, followed by this game-changing turn against Brazil.
Scouts will have seen the numbers. Coaches will have seen something more important: a winger who can change the rhythm of a knockout tie in 45 minutes.
From Benfica bench to Premier League radar
This World Cup surge has not come out of nowhere. Schjelderup’s second half of the season with Benfica laid the groundwork.
The Norwegian spent much of the first half of the campaign watching from the bench, a talented understudy waiting for his chance. When it came, he seized it. Installed as a regular starter on the left, he scored six goals and supplied four assists in his final 14 Liga Portugal matches, a run that underlined his end product as much as his promise.
He had already announced himself to Europe in January, when he scored twice against Real Madrid and dragged Benfica into the headlines. That night caught the eye. This summer is turning those glances into serious interest.
Schjelderup has two years left on his Benfica contract and is understood to be open to a move to the Premier League. A fee in the region of £35 million is being discussed – not a bargain, but far from outrageous for a 22-year-old with his trajectory and temperament.
Tottenham’s need for fresh attacking options is no secret. Ange Postecoglou wants more pace, more directness, more incision from wide areas. Schjelderup offers all three, along with the versatility to operate across the front line and the confidence to take responsibility in big moments.
Liverpool, too, have been linked. Their recruitment team has long targeted high-ceiling forwards in their early 20s, players who can press, carry the ball, and grow into leading roles. On current evidence, Schjelderup fits that template neatly.
Essien’s verdict and the road ahead
Those who worked with Schjelderup early in his career saw this coming. At Nordsjaelland, where his senior journey began, he crossed paths with Chelsea great Michael Essien, who has followed his progress closely.
“Schjelde has everything to take even bigger steps,” Essien told VG. “The sky’s the limit. He can play for the biggest clubs in the world. Personally, I'd like to see him at Real Madrid or another big club.
“I watch Benfica's games when I can. When Andreas has the ball, he almost seems faster with it than without it. There aren't many players like that. When he accelerates, it's very difficult to stop him.”
That acceleration, that ability to appear quicker on the ball than off it, is exactly what shredded Brazil’s defensive shape. It is also exactly what Premier League defences struggle with: a winger who can receive under pressure, turn, and be gone before the full-back has adjusted his feet.
For Tottenham, Schjelderup looks like the kind of calculated gamble that can reshape an attack – young enough to develop, proven enough to contribute immediately. For Liverpool, he represents another potential piece in a long-term rebuild of their forward line.
Right now, though, he is Norway’s new star of the World Cup knockouts, a 22-year-old winger who has turned a tournament cameo into a transfer storyline. If this is what he can do in 45 minutes against Brazil, how long before one of England’s giants decides they cannot afford to wait any longer?
