Haaland Achieves Goal Of Making Norway Known Globally
Erling Haaland says he achieved his goal of making Norway globally known after the team reached the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, where they lost to England in extra time despite strong performances throughout the tournament.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has revealed that he has achieved one of his personal goals: making his national team known to the world. Norway head coach Stale Solbakken lamented the team's bad luck.
Norway, considered a dark horse, saw their World Cup 2026 campaign end in the quarter-finals after losing to England in extra time 1-2 on July 11.
After the match, Haaland, who scored 7 goals in his first World Cup tournament, reflected on his feelings: "We feel proud of our excellent performance, and it has united the people of Norway. There are only positive feelings and joy that we have received in our country and here as well."
"It's difficult to think about other things right now. This has been an incredible event. You have to experience this for yourself. That was my goal."
"I wanted to make Norway known to the world and build our reputation as one of the best teams in the world. I think we have already made Norway known to the world here."
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken stated: "I feel sorry for every player. This is the highest level of sport—the most intense and brutal. We were fortunate to beat Brazil, but today we weren't that fortunate. We had many chances to beat Brazil, but not today."
"Sometimes you're lucky. We were lucky to beat Brazil, but today we weren't. The chances didn't go our way. But that's life."
