Alfie Haaland was clearly unhappy with the refereeing during the England versus Norway World Cup quarter-final and suggested that the English side received assistance from the officials, despite Jude Bellingham producing a brilliant performance.
Norway were hoping to continue their impressive run at the World Cup after reaching the quarter finals and started strongly against England by taking the lead. They also had a major opportunity to double their advantage, but Alexander Sorloth’s decision-making prevented them from taking full advantage.
Haaland questions refereeing decisions
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Sorloth has since explained his decision-making during that moment, but the opportunity had already passed, and Norway were eventually eliminated from the competition after England completed their comeback.
Haaland, who was disappointed with the result, believes England benefited from the referee’s decisions during the match. He spent several hours after the final whistle expressing his frustration on X, making his feelings about Norway’s elimination clear.
The result was particularly disappointing for Norway, which had returned to the World Cup for the first time since France 98 and had generated significant excitement with their performances throughout the tournament.
Wright disagrees with Haaland
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While Haaland believes the officials played a role in England’s victory, Arsenal icon Ian Wright does not share that opinion. Wright acknowledged the comments but questioned whether they were influenced by disappointment after Norway’s elimination.
As quoted by [Give Me Sport](https://www.givemesport.com/alfie-haaland-insults-roy-keane-norway-robbed-vs-england-world-cup/), Wright said:
“Is that sour grapes from Alf-Inge Haaland, saying well done to Bellingham and the referee? I think that was just a bit of a low blow from him.”
England’s victory was ultimately secured through key moments and a strong individual display from Bellingham, who played a decisive role in helping his team progress. Although Norway will reflect on missed opportunities, Haaland’s reaction highlights the frustration of seeing such a promising World Cup campaign come to an end.
The debate over refereeing decisions is likely to continue, but England advanced to the next stage while Norway were left to consider what might have been after an impressive tournament run.