Haaland Says World Cup 2026 Changed Him as a Person After Norway's Exit

FIFA World Cup 2026: "Changed me as a person", Haaland reflects on Norway's WC journey after exit

Miami, July 12

He expressed pride in representing his country on the biggest stage, highlighting the team's strong performances, the unity among Norwegians, and the joy and positivity generated throughout their historic campaign.

Norway's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign ended with a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the quarter-finals.

"These things are surreal; I think this has changed me as a person. I think my profile has grown a bit, let's put it that way, and... It's hard to even process it all right now when I look back at the games, but it's incredibly special to be part of an event like this - something I used to watch from the sidelines, and now I'm living it first-hand," Haaland siad as per the FIFA website.

"I feel immense pride, and I'm genuinely moved when I think about how well we performed, the sense of unity back in Norway, and the positivity and joy we've felt both there and here," he added.

Norway had taken the lead in Miami through Andreas Schjelderup after a bright opening spell in which Erling Haaland also tested Jordan Pickford.

However, Bellingham struck in first-half stoppage time to restore parity before scoring again in extra time after goalkeeper Orjan Nyland spilt a Morgan Rogers effort into his path.

England eventually secured a 2-1 victory to book a semi-final clash against defending champions Argentina, bringing an end to Norway's best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign.

The quarter-final marked a historic milestone for Norway, which reached the last eight for the first time in tournament history after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Despite the heartbreaking exit, Erling Haaland enjoyed another outstanding tournament. The striker scored in every group-stage match as well as in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, finishing as Norway's top scorer with seven goals.

— ANI