​MIAMI GARDENS — Erling Haaland, the star forward for Norway, was substituted at halftime during extra time in the World Cup quarterfinal against England. The unexpected change came as the underdog Norwegians trailed England 2-1 in the extra period, with the match taking place at Hard Rock Stadium. The game had been tied 1-1 at the end of regulation after England’s Jude Bellingham and Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup found the back of the net in the first half. Earlier, Norway had a potential go-ahead goal ruled out due to a foul on Haaland.
England had taken the lead in extra time when Morgan Rogers delivered a powerful shot from distance that produced a spill from the Norwegian goalkeeper, who deflected the ball straight to a waiting Bellingham, allowing him to finish. Bellingham’s involvement was pivotal for England, as the midfielder produced a brace in the match, including an impressive strike in the waning seconds of the first half. He latched onto a pass just inside the Norway box, maneuvered around defenders with deft dribbling, and struck a left-footed shot that flew past the goalkeeper’s reach into the far corner, tying the game just before halftime.
Schjelderup had given Norway the lead earlier, curling a left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area that arced over England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, finding the upper part of the net. The goal moments before halftime energized the Norwegian side as they sought to overturn a favorites’ status in the match. The victor of this quarterfinal would advance to a semifinal showdown with a team featuring Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina, or the upset-minded Switzerland, with the match scheduled to determine the semifinalist on Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta.
Haaland has been a standout at his first World Cup appearance, adding to his already impressive club resume. Today’s goal marked his eighth in five World Cup appearances, tying him with France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the lead in the Golden Boot race. With no assists yet, Haaland sits third in the award’s tiebreakers: Mbappé has three assists, Messi has two. Haaland has been a fixture for the Norway national team since 2020, when he was 20 years old. Across 54 appearances prior to this match, he scored 62 goals and provided eight assists, including a remarkable 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifying matches.
On the club front, Haaland is one of the premier strikers in the English Premier League. He earned the 2023 EPL Player of the Season, the UEFA Player of the Year, and the FWA Footballer of the Year after shattering the league’s scoring record with 36 goals during that season. He plays for Manchester City, contributing to Premier League title wins in 2023 and 2024 and guiding the team to the UEFA Champions League title in 2023. The quarterfinals of this World Cup have drawn immense attention from fans and analysts alike, with Haaland’s performance continuing to attract significant interest as the tournament progresses.