​Erling Haaland’s father has criticized the referee after Norway’s World Cup exit at the hands of England. The quarterfinals ended with England narrowly advancing 2-1 in extra time, thanks to Jude Bellingham, who scored twice—first canceling out Andreas Schjelderup’s opener on the cusp of halftime, then pouncing on a rebound in the 93rd minute to secure the win.
Yet England’s victory was not without controversy. Questions swirled around the validity of England’s equaliser and the disallowance of Norway’s second goal, decisions that might have altered the match in normal time if they had stood. Alfie Haaland, the former Manchester City midfielder and father of Erling Haaland, took to X to voice his thoughts. While he lauded Bellingham’s outstanding display, he also expressed disappointment with referee Clement Turpin, posting: “Well done Bellingham and referee.”
The contentious moment preceding Bellingham’s leveller involved Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland’s goal kick, which appeared to strike a cable above the Miami Stadium and drop toward Elliot Anderson, igniting the move that England converted into a goal. By the letter of the law, the ball should have been disallowed due to direct interference in play, but VAR did not intervene. FIFA later insisted no error had been made, citing its “snicko” technology, which they claimed showed no evidence the ball touched the overhead wire. Critics remained unconvinced, however, given the apparent change in the ball’s trajectory.
After halftime, Norway felt they had again been denied when Torbjørn Hægge m equalized from a corner, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal. The on-screen decision was that Haaland had fouled Elliott Anderson by pushing him to the ground, and after Turpin reviewed the incident at the pitchside monitor, the goal was overturned. The decision added to England’s frustration as well, with Harry Kane’s appeals for a foul in the build-up to Norway’s opener going unanswered, and a penalty awarded to England in extra time being overturned.
Solbakken, who spoke for his side in the wake of their defeat, refused to lean on excuses. “There are many situations today. And, well, maybe we have been looking at many of them in the World Cup, so these things happen. We just want to wish England the best of luck,” he said, underscoring a sense of pride in his squad despite the exit.
Looking ahead, England advance to the semi-finals to face either Argentina or Switzerland. The match has sparked debate about refereeing decisions and VAR usage, with Haaland’s father weighing in on the officiating while acknowledging the brilliance of Bellingham’s performance. As the tournament moves forward, both countries will carry the memory of a match that was as much about contentious calls as it was about standout individual moments.