Haaland's remarks spark controversy

Norwegian national team striker Erling Haaland sparked considerable controversy after a video surfaced in which he predicted his country’s elimination by England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Haaland, 25, scored two goals in Norway’s 2-1 Round of 16 victory over Brazil, but failed to find the net when his side lost 2-1 to England in the quarter-finals.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel before the match, Haaland said: “Tomorrow, we face England in the World Cup quarter-finals. I expect England to win and for us to be eliminated from the tournament. After that, we will return directly to Oslo and greet the King. It will be emotional. It has been a beautiful journey, but it’s time to bring it to an end.”

Some fans were surprised by his confidence in predicting defeat, while others viewed his comments as a sign of humility.

Haaland featured in five of Norway’s six World Cup matches, scoring seven goals and raising his international tally to 62 goals in just 55 appearances for his national team.

After being eliminated from the tournament, Haaland said: “We are touched because we delivered a great tournament and united the Norwegian people behind the national team. There is a lot of positivity and happiness in our country, as well as here.”