Norway forward Erling Haaland has expressed pride in his team’s impressive performance at the FIFA World Cup, saying the tournament has helped put Norwegian football “on the map” and laid the foundation for future success.
Speaking after Norway’s campaign came to an end, the Manchester City striker said the team had shown it could compete with the world’s best and believes the country’s talented generation has what it takes to achieve even greater success in the years ahead.
“I think after this tournament, we’ve put Norway on the map, so to speak. Now it’s about maintaining those standards. I’m incredibly proud,” Haaland said in an interview with FIFA.
The 26-year-old highlighted Norway’s memorable victory over football giants Brazil as one of the biggest achievements of the tournament.
The win was one of the competition’s biggest surprises and demonstrated the team’s growing confidence on the international stage.
“We proved that it’s possible to beat one of the biggest teams in the world, Brazil,” he said.
Norway’s journey eventually ended with a 2-1 defeat to England in the quarter finals, but Haaland believes the result did not reflect how competitive the match was.
“We lost to England in the end, but we made them fight for it. Perhaps it could have gone differently,” he added.
Norway exceeded many expectations during the tournament, with their disciplined performances and attacking football earning praise from fans and football experts alike.
Their progress was seen as a major step forward for a nation that has often struggled to qualify for major international competitions in recent decades.
Haaland also looked ahead with optimism, saying Norway’s current squad has the quality to become a regular contender at major tournaments.
“We’ve got more World Cups and Euros ahead of us; I think it’s time for us to really establish ourselves. We’ve got a fantastic generation,” he said.
Norway’s rise has been driven by a talented group of players, including Haaland, Arsenal midfielder Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sorloth who have helped transform the national team’s fortunes.
Although they fell short of reaching the final, their performances at the World Cup have raised expectations for the future.
