Football has a way of making history look foolish. On July 5, Norway walked into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and did something no World Cup opponent had managed before: beat Brazil with Casemiro on the pitch.
The final score was 1-0.
What happened, and why it matters
Brazil had never lost a World Cup match in which Casemiro started. Norway had never lost to Brazil across their previous four meetings, collecting two wins and two draws. On paper, both streaks were going to end on Saturday. In reality, only one of them did.
Casemiro took the field despite managing an adductor injury picked up during Brazil’s Round of 32 victory against Japan. He was confirmed fit, he played, and Brazil still lost.
