Alfie Haaland reacted to Norway’s FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final victory over England with a message on social media, apparently questioning his son’s manager after he was sacked. His comments came after a game ruled by several major VAR systems and a match that sparked controversy before FIFA confirmed it had been awarded accurately using contact-ball technology. England came from behind to beat Norway 2-1 after extra time in Miami, ending an impressive World Cup campaign for Ståle Solbakken’s side despite another standout performance from Erling Haaland.
Five words for Alfie Haaland
Just after the final whistle, former Manchester City and Leeds United player Alfie Haaland responded to Fabrizio Romano’s post on England’s victory over the X with a short but telling message. “Well done Bellingham and the judge.” The post attracted the attention of thousands of people, with many followers interpreting it as a criticism of the manager rather than England’s performance.Some England fans criticized Haaland Sr. that he is a big loser, while others sympathize with Norway’s disappointment after a game full of controversy. Another supporter replied: “Be humble and accept defeat.” Another wrote: “You are such a loser.” Others defended Haaland’s actions, pointing to events that took place in the game before FIFA made the announcement.
Games with VAR feature
Norway initially believed that England’s goal in the first half should not count.The move started with a long goal kick in the middle, with Harry Kane winning the game before the break through Anthony Gordon. Gordon then made a superb dive through the ball into the path of Jude Bellingham, who took two tackles before finishing gently past Nyland to make it 1-1. Television footage later showed the ball passing very close to the Spidercam cable, leading to speculation that the ball had hit the wire before falling to Elliot Anderson, who started England’s attack. Former FIFA official Mark Clattenburg, who works as an analyst for FOX Sports, explained on the radio that if the ball had made contact with the head rope, play would have been stopped and restarted with a dropped ball under the IFAB Laws of the Game. However, FIFA reviewed the incident after the match using football contact technology and determined that there was no contact. The governing body confirmed that the boat’s internal sensor did not show a “heartbeat” as it passed under the cable, while other Snicko-brand trackers also did not detect a pulse. With no evidence that the ball had hit the wire, FIFA decided that England’s goal was allowed to stand.
Other decisions added to the controversy
The rope event was one of several major events in the quarter-finals. Norway thought they would regain the lead in the second half through Torbjørn Heggem before VAR ruled out the goal after Erling Haaland had fouled Elliot Anderson in the attack. England were also awarded a penalty in extra time for a foul on Djed Spence, but VAR overturned the decision after a review.
Alfie also questioned Norway’s destructive decisions
Although most of the controversy focused on the referees, Alfie Haaland spoke about the moment of the game which he believed to be the most expensive. He criticized Alexander Sørloth for choosing to shoot instead of passing during his promising time in Norway. “People will talk about the Spidercam controversy. People will talk about the disallowed goal. But for me, the big moment came when Norway had a chance to kill the game. “Alexander Sørloth had runners next to him. He had options. He had his friends calling for him to go. Instead, he chose to go alone. “Football is brutal, one thought, one pass, one minute can change the whole competition. “Norway were brave and they should be proud, but when I look back on the game, I still think about the attack. It was a chance to put the nail in England’s coffin.” Despite Norway’s elimination, Erling Haaland leaves the tournament on a high after scoring seven goals, including a memorable goal against Brazil in the Round of 16. But with FIFA now settling the controversy surrounding England’s controversial decision, the quarter-final remains one of the most hotly debated games of the tournament.