Erling Haaland vs Vinicius Jr (Image Source: Getty)Norway created one of the biggest upsets of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by beating Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16. Erling Haaland scored both goals to send his country into the quarter-finals for the first time. Brazil’s only goal came from Neymar in stoppage time, but it was not enough to stop their early exit.After the final whistle, another moment caught the attention of football fans. While Haaland was speaking to reporters after being named Player of the Match, Brazil star Vinicius Jr walked over to congratulate him with a warm embrace. The touching exchange came only days after the pair went viral online because of a funny AI-generated White Chicks meme.Vinicius Jr congratulates Erling Haaland after viral meme and Norway’s famous World Cup winErling Haaland once again proved why he is one of the world’s best strikers. The Norwegian captain stayed quiet for much of the match before scoring twice in the closing minutes. His goals sealed a historic victory and knocked five-time world champions Brazil out of the tournament.Soon after the match ended, Haaland was surrounded by reporters discussing Norway’s famous win. During the interview, Vinicius Jr appeared and hugged the striker before congratulating him on his performance.The Brazilian winger’s gesture quickly spread across social media. Many fans praised him for showing respect despite the disappointment of Brazil’s elimination.The moment became even more special because Haaland and Vinicius had already been making headlines together before the match.Just days earlier, both stars reacted to a viral AI-generated White Chicks meme that entertained football fans around the world. The edited videos replaced the faces of characters from the popular comedy film with those of Haaland and Vinicius during the famous car karaoke scene featuring Vanessa Carlton’s song A Thousand Miles.The clips spread rapidly across social media and attracted millions of views.Rather than ignoring the trend, Haaland decided to join the fun. He joked online that he and Vinicius should recreate the famous scene together in real life. His light-hearted comment quickly caught the attention of fans.Vinicius responded with laughter, making it clear that he enjoyed the joke as well. Their friendly online interaction became one of the most talked-about moments before the knockout clash between Norway and Brazil.A few days later, the two football stars met again, this time on the biggest stage in world football.The result was painful for Brazil. Bruno Guimaraes missed a first-half penalty, while Haaland’s late double ended Brazil’s hopes of winning another World Cup. Neymar scored from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, but the comeback came too late.Haaland’s brace also took his tournament tally to seven goals, putting him level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race. He now has an incredible 62 goals in just 54 international appearances.Although Brazil’s World Cup journey ended in disappointment, Vinicius Jr’s sportsmanship won plenty of praise.