England's victory over Norway in the World Cup quarter-final has led to a light-hearted bet between British Airways and Norwegian Air, with the losing airline forced to temporarily change its Instagram logo.
The Bet and Its Outcome
After England beat Norway 2-1 on July 11, 2026, Norwegian Air had to swap its Instagram profile picture for the British Airways logo, as agreed before the match. The bet stipulated that the loser would display the winner's logo on their social media page. True to their word, Norwegian Air's Instagram now features the British Airways logo, accompanied by a post wishing England and British Airways well in the semi-finals.
The post reads: "While the tournament is over for us, this friendly bet will forever live in all our hearts. We wish England and @british_airways all the best in the semi-final, and we sincerely hope you'll get to bring football home!"
Online Reaction and Praise
The gesture was widely praised online. Malaysia Airlines commented: "Respect to @flynorwegian! Most airlines need six months and 14 approvals to change a logo." Wonderful Indonesia's official account added: "Losing the match but winning at good sportsmanship. Respect, Norwegian." Aviation account @flightradar24 joked: "Twice as many BA flights to track today! Loving the spirit!"
Users also applauded the airline, with one writing: "@flynorwegian this is great spirit, great vibes and how you run a social media account. You have my full support!" Another said: "Well played @flynorwegian and @british_airways." A third added: "Huge respect for seeing it through."
Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland's Friendship
The good sportsmanship extended to the players as well. Before the match, Jude Bellingham was seen sharing a warm moment with former Borussia Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland in the tunnel. Bellingham, now at Real Madrid, wished Haaland luck, hugged him, and gave him a playful kick. The pair played together at Dortmund from 2020 to 2022 and have remained close friends despite moving to Manchester City and Real Madrid respectively.
Fans loved the interaction, with one saying: "I love their relationship." Another added: "They have a brilliant friendship - it's great to see!" A third commented: "Good bit of banter." One more wrote: "Good friendship and good sportsmanship... that's what it's all about." Another fan added: "Even though he lost, he was happy for his friend at the end."
