Haaland: We put Norway on the global map

Striker Erling Haaland expressed his happiness that the historic journey of his national team at the World Cup in North America had put Norway “on the map,” despite their exit in the quarter-finals against England (2-1 after extra time) in Miami the day before yesterday.

Haaland, who was tightly marked by the English defense and finished the tournament with seven goals, said: “We lost to England, but we delivered a strong performance.”

Adding in the mixed zone, he said: “With a few different decisions, it could have been different, but at this level, small details make the difference.”

The Manchester City striker continued: “Performance is one thing, and beating Brazil (2-1 in the round of 16) is another, but I think the way we put Norway on the map is perhaps what affects me the most,” following Norway’s first-ever appearance in the World Cup quarter-finals.

He added: “I hope now that we can build something for the upcoming European Championships and World Cups, because our generation is exceptional.”

Emphasizing the significance of this historic run, he stressed: “I believe this has changed Norway, and it has changed me as well.”

When asked which national team he would support after this exit, he smiled and said: “Of course, I want England to succeed. I think I wore an England shirt before I wore a Norway shirt when I was young.”

Asked about the performance of English midfielder Jude Bellingham, a “good friend” he met at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland elaborated: “It doesn’t surprise me that he scored two goals and played at this level. Sometimes he is criticized too much because he doesn’t score enough goals, or for any other reason. In my eyes, he is one of the best players in the world, and he is a midfielder.”