In a heated showdown with no shortage of controversial calls, Erling Haaland and Norway were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by England. After being held scoreless for the first time in the tournament, Haaland’s first World Cup came to an end in the quarterfinals. Following the final whistle, Alfie Haaland (Erling’s father) took aim at the officiating, namely match official Clement Turpin.
“Well done Bellingham and referee,” Alfie Haaland replied to a post from Fabrizio Romano on Bellingham’s stats at the 2026 World Cup. With his brace against Norway, Bellingham has eclipsed Zinedine Zidane in World Cup goals. However, Alfie’s sarcastic remark was clearly digging at Turpin’s officiating rather than actually congratulating Bellingham. Alfie Haaland knows Bellingham from his son’s time alongside Jude at Borussia Dortmund.
Although the action-packed quarterfinals showdown in Miami had no shortage of controversies, some of which affected Norway heavily, there were also a couple of calls that went the Vikings’ way. All in all, it was a tough to game to officiate, as two elite sides left it all on the line.
Controversies in England’s 2-1 win over Norway
The first major controversial decision came with Norway’s goal. Andreas Schjelderup beat Jordan Pickford with a shot that appeared to be a cross but found the back of the net. The Three Lions appealed for a foul on Harry Kane, but to no avail. The goal stood.
England found the equalizer through Bellingham, but a slow-motion replay appeared to show the ball ricocheting off a camera cable stretching across the stadium. FIFA responded to the concerns surrounding England’s goal by stating that the sensor inside the ball detected no contact. Thus, the goal stood, though FIFA’s explanation did little to convince Norway, and Alfie Haaland was no different.
In the second half, Norway had a goal disallowed after a VAR review determined that Haaland had pushed Elliot Anderson before the corner kick was taken. That decision left little room for debate, but when combined with England’s disputed first goal, it’s clear why Norway felt they got the short end of the stick.
More controversial calls in England vs Norway
However, VAR also worked in Norway’s favor when Djed Spence went down inside the box in extra time. Turpin initially awarded England a penalty, but after reviewing the play, it became clear that Spence had initiated the contact. As a result, England’s penalty was correctly overturned.
All in all, there were several eyebrow-raising decisions that affected both sides. Aside from the controversial camera cable incident before England’s equalizer, Turpin generally got the key calls right. The one that still leaves room for debate, however, is the decision that changed the course of the game for Haaland and Norway.
Coach is under the scope, too
Officiating isn’t the only thing under the microscope for the Norwegians. Head coach Stale Solbakken is also facing scrutiny over his overtime decision, as fans can’t comprehend why Erling Haaland was subbed off against England.
Norway have been eliminated, and their best player wasn’t allowed to play the final 15 minutes to help them. Another member of the squad feeling the heat is Alexander Sorloth, who faced a wave of criticism after failing to pass the ball to Haaland in one big play during the quarterfinal.
