If That Was A Free Kick Haaland Blasts Var After Norways Disallowed Goal And World Cup Heartbreak

Erling Haaland has described Norway’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign as the “coolest six weeks” of his life despite their heartbreaking quarter-final exit against England.

Norway’s first World Cup appearance since 1998 ended with a 2-1 extra-time defeat in Miami, where Jude Bellingham scored twice to send England into the semi-finals. Haaland, who finished the tournament with seven goals, was substituted late in normal time and watched the decisive stages from the bench.

“These have been the coolest six weeks I've had in my entire life,” Haaland said. “It was completely crazy. These are memories for life. It's the most fun thing I've been a part of.”

The quarter-final was played in draining heat and humidity, with several Norwegian players visibly struggling as the contest progressed. Haaland admitted the conditions were difficult but refused to blame them for the defeat.

“It was tough. It was quite special to play in that humidity,” he said. “I don't want to make any excuses. Quarterfinals are decided by small details, and we had some situations go against us.”

The most contentious moment arrived in the second half when Norway had a goal disallowed following a VAR review. Haaland appeared to use both arms to push England midfielder Elliot Anderson before flicking on the resulting corner.

The ball was not in play when the contact occurred, meaning the referee ordered the corner to be retaken rather than awarding England a free kick. The decision was permitted under the VAR interpretation being applied at the tournament for attacking offences committed before a restart.

Haaland, however, believed the intervention was harsh. “I felt like I was being pulled the whole way, and I think it was a soft decision,” he said. “If that's a free kick, then I should have a free kick in almost every duel in every single match.”

Despite the frustration, Haaland insisted Norway’s performances had permanently changed how the national team is viewed. Their run included a famous victory over Brazil and turned the team’s “Viking row” celebration into one of the defining images of the tournament.

“The way we put Norway on the map is the one thing that touches me the most,” Haaland said. “I hope this gives motivation to young people back in Norway that it's possible. It's possible to play on the biggest stage in the world with a Norway t-shirt on.”

The Manchester City striker also praised Bellingham, his friend and former Borussia Dortmund teammate, after the midfielder ended Norway’s campaign.

“Jude is a good friend... He's such a good guy,” Haaland said. “I'm not surprised that he performed the way he did. England is lucky, Madrid is lucky, because everybody would want a Jude in their team.”

Haaland believes Norway are no longer merely building towards becoming a competitive international side. “I've said it many times, we're building something in Norway. I think it's already built,” he said. “We've shown that it's possible to beat one of the biggest football nations in the world, Brazil. We gave England a good fight.”