Haaland: We put Norway on the map

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

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

Speaking in the mixed zone, he added: “With a few different decisions, things 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.

After this historic run, he emphasized: “I think it changed Norway, and it changed me too.”

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 had an England shirt before I had 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. Yet he scores goals and can dribble past any player on the pitch. I have nothing but praise for Jude; I find him amazing. England is lucky, as everyone wishes to have a player like him in their national team.”