Erling Haaland's remarkable scoring streak came to an end as England defeated Norway 2-0 to book a place in the World Cup semi-finals, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in Miami. The Manchester City striker failed to score for the first time in 15 competitive matches for Norway.
Haaland's Tournament Performance
Before the semi-final, Haaland had netted seven goals in four World Cup matches, helping his country reach the quarter-finals of a major international tournament for the first time in 28 years. His outstanding performances included two goals against Brazil in the Round of 16, which knocked the five-time world champions out of the tournament.
Haaland Reflects on Norway's Journey
“How we put Norway on the map is maybe one thing that touches me the most,” said Haaland. “Hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to Euros, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing and also all this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it’s possible to play a big stage in the world with a Norwegian shirt.”
Haaland's popularity has grown significantly during the tournament, attracting many new fans in the United States through both his goalscoring ability and his approachable personality away from the pitch.
Future Ambitions
The 25-year-old believes Norway can build on this success and develop into one of football's strongest nations in the future. “It’s kind of difficult to take in this kind of a show or rollercoaster that we’ve been in now for the last six weeks,” added the 25-year-old. “I think this changes Norway, I think it changes me. I’ve said it many times, we’re building on something in Norway. It’s about maintaining this because again we’ve shown that it’s possible to be one of the biggest football nations in the world.”
Praise for Jude Bellingham
Haaland also praised England midfielder Jude Bellingham, his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, after the Real Madrid star produced another match-winning performance. “We had so much fun together and I’m not surprised that he scores two goals today and performs the way he does,” added Haaland. “I think he’s one of the best in the world and he’s a midfielder. He still scores goals, he still manages to dribble every single player on the field. It’s just praise for Jude, I think he’s unbelievable. England is lucky because everybody would want a Jude in the team.”
Substitution Due to Heat
Despite Norway desperately searching for an equaliser, Haaland was substituted during extra-time after struggling with the intense heat in Miami. Norway head coach Stale Solbakken admitted his only regret was not replacing his captain earlier. “It was not a tough decision to take him out because he was finished and maybe I should take him out before,” said Solbakken. “We used all his energy and power for game after game. He also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue — he did everything he could.”
