​Erling Haaland has made sure Wayne Rooney doesn’t forget the rowing wager he laid down ahead of England’s World Cup quarterfinal against Norway. The England World Cup icon had promised to row down the River Mersey if Norway reached the quarterfinal by beating Brazil in the Round of 16. He stated: “If Norway get to the quarterfinals, I’ll go in the River Mersey and row down it.” And true to Haaland’s prediction, Norway advanced to the last eight for the first time in their history thanks to a brace from Haaland. Since then, Haaland has been keen to hold Rooney to his word.
Ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal, Haaland spoke, via The Mirror, about his anticipation of meeting Rooney: “I’m looking forward to seeing Wayne, Wayney boy. I’m looking forward to seeing Wayne Rooney rowing down in Liverpool. That’s all I want to see now. Wayne Rooney, I expect you to go out on a rowing trip.” In response, Rooney addressed his wager a few days after Norway’s stunning win, revealing that he was trying to recruit some teammates to join him. When host Kelly Cates pressed him, Rooney quipped: “Was that me?”
Rooney added: “I’m a man of my word. Micah [Richards] has agreed to do it with me.” He continued: “We’re a team. The only thing I’ll say is, because we’ve got a lot on, it might have to be the Hudson River when we’re in New York. If the BBC can sort that.” Fellow analyst Joe Hart then offered to join in: “I’ll do the Hudson with you.”
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Rooney’s pledge didn’t stop there. BBC Sport released a graphic depicting the former striker in England gear, rowing along the Mersey with the Liverpool skyline in the background, captioned: “Over to you.” Yet even with Rooney’s pledge on the record, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram suggested a different way for him to fulfill the forfeit. He proposed: “How about this instead? We can sort out a rowing boat, or in a couple of months’ time, we’ll launch our brand-new £26 million Mersey Ferry. Fancy swapping oars for the captain’s chair?”
Rooney’s original bet was sparked by Norway’s post-match rowing celebration that went viral after the World Cup, in which a player drums while fans and teammates imitate rowing in unison. England fans will hope Norway can’t replicate that display after this weekend’s clash in Miami. The winner will move on to a semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta, where they will face either Switzerland or Argentina.
As the buildup continues, Haaland’s reminder that Rooney must honor the wager adds an extra layer of drama to an already charged quarterfinal. Fans are watching closely to see whether Rooney will lace up his boots for a Mersey-based row, or whether city officials will redirect him toward a different mode of forfeit fulfillment. The international showdown promises to be one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments, with the winner heading to a high-stakes semifinal and the loser left to ponder the fate of a lighthearted—yet highly public—forfeit.