Erling Haaland says his life has changed after Norway lost to England in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.Norway’s World Cup journey came to an end after they lost 1-2 to England in overtime. Despite the result, Haaland said playing and representing his country on football’s biggest stage was an experience he will always remember.“These things are so surreal; I think it changed me as a person,” Haaland said, according to FIFA’s website. “I think my profile has improved, let’s put it that way, and… when I look back at the game, it’s even hard for me to process it all immediately, but to be part of something like this is very special – I was watching from the sidelines and now I’m witnessing it.”He also spoke of how proud he was of the Norwegian team’s performance and the support the team received during the tournament.He added: “I’m extremely proud and I’m really moved when I think about our performance, the sense of unity in Norway and the positivity and joy we feel here and here.”Norway started strongly in their quarter-final match in Miami and took the lead through Andreas Schjeldrup. Haaland also tested England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the early stages.However, Jude Bellingham equalized in first-half stoppage time before Norway goalkeeper Ojan Nyland blocked Morgan Rogers’ shot in his path before scoring again in extra time.England eventually won 2-1 and advanced to the semi-finals to face defending champion Argentina, ending Norway’s best-ever World Cup journey.The quarter-finals were a milestone for Norway, which qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and entered the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in history.Despite being out, Haaland had a productive game. The striker scored in all three group stage games and also scored in the round of 32 and round of 16, becoming Norway’s top scorer with seven goals.
