In his maiden World Cup appearance, Erling Haaland set the tournament alight by scoring seven goals and driving Norway to its first-ever quarterfinal appearance.
The 25-year-old striker was equally instrumental in ending his country’s 28-year World Cup drought, having delivered a sensational qualifying campaign that featured a record-tying 16 goals in just eight matches.
While Haaland and Norway’s World Cup dream ended on Saturday, they had little reason to hang their heads. Isabel Haugseng Johansen, Erling Haaland’s girlfriend, shared a heartfelt post that captured the mood of both her and scores of Norwegian fans (as translated by football writer Geronimo Morgans).
“The fairytale is over for this time, but we’ll carry the memories with us forever. I am always so proud of you ❤️,” Isabel said in a message directed to her boyfriend.
The message was accompanied by a picture of the young couple embracing each other.
“The fairytale is over for this time, but we’ll carry the memories with us forever. I am always so proud of you.” 👏
Erling Haaland ‘Proud’ of Norway
Haaland said that he and his teammates were most proud of putting “Norway on the map,” especially among younger fans who have never seen the Norwegians on the world stage.
“The performances are one thing,” he said, via The Athletic. “Beating Brazil is one thing. But I think the way we have put Norway on the map is maybe the thing that touches me the most. I think with the ‘rowing’, with how good people we are — I think perfect people — and, yeah, with Norway on the map, hopefully now we can establish something when it comes to European Championships, World Cups and everything because our generation is amazing.”
Haaland admitted that if a few refereeing decisions went in his country’s favor, Norway would be playing Argentina in next week’s World Cup semifinal, not England. Yet, he harbors no hard feelings and takes back a lifetime of memories back home.
“In the end, I’m just proud,” he stressed.
“I’ve been so proud every single day since we qualified, since being in the U.S., and… yeah. I don’t really know what more to say because I think I’ve spoken so much out here in the U.S. and I’m getting a bit fed up. So it’s now time to go on holiday.”
Erling Haaland’s Father Creates Controversy
Erling Haaland’s father was anything but gracious after Norway lost to England, with the former footballer blasting referees and FIFA officials for favoring the Englishmen.
Notably, Torbjørn Heggem’s goal was disallowed in the second half following a VAR intervention. The video assistant referee determined that Haaland committed a foul during the attacking buildup, even though subsequent replays suggested that the contact was minimal at best and not enough to draw a foul. The Norwegians felt similarly wronged in the first half when Jude Bellingham’s goal was considered valid even though the Sykcam system was disabled after a long ball struck an overhead cable. Per FIFA rules, play should have been suspended and restarted with a dropped ball.
“Today, the referee won,” Erling Haaland’s father said after the game, via X acount Seth Official. “That’s how I feel. I don’t usually like talking about officials after a match, but when so many key moments go against one team, it’s impossible to ignore.
“We saw Torbjørn Heggem’s goal disallowed, we saw controversial decisions throughout the game, and every big call seemed to go England’s way. At this level, those moments change matches,” he added.
Haaland’s father also sent out several tweets blasting the refereeing.
Erling Haaland’s Girlfriend Sends Personal Message to Norway Star After England Loss