Haaland: "Norway has entered a new era"

Interview

The Norwegian star highlights the historic impact of his team's run at the 2026 World Cup

World Cup 2026 12 July 2026 at 04:34

Add Foot Africa on Google

Haaland: "Norway has entered a new era"

11.07.26 AET World Cup

Norway

England

Norway came agonizingly close to a sensational achievement. In their first-ever World Cup quarter-final, the Nordic side were knocked out by England after a 2-1 defeat in extra time.

Despite the heartbreak, Erling Haaland chooses to focus on the positives. For the Norwegian striker, this campaign marked a turning point for his country:

It's incredible. The performance is one thing, beating Brazil is another, but above all, we've put Norway on the map. Norway has entered a new era during this World Cup.

Haaland hopes this generation will inspire young Norwegian players and help the country firmly establish itself among football's elite nations. After six intense weeks with the national team, Haaland will now take some time to rest. But he will always remember a World Cup that, in his words, changed the course of Norwegian football history.

This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our Editorial Policy .