Alfie Haaland, the former Leeds United and Manchester City full-back and father of Norway striker Erling Haaland, has launched a furious attack on the referee following England's 2-1 World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway after extra time.
Match Overview and Key Moments
England secured their place in the semi-finals thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, who scored just before half-time and again in extra time. Norway had taken the lead in the first half, but England fought back to win. The game was billed as a clash between Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, but Haaland was kept relatively quiet before being substituted during extra time.
The match was filled with controversial moments. Harry Kane felt he was fouled in the build-up to Norway's opener, while Norway's staff claimed the ball hit a cable before Bellingham's equaliser. In the second half, Norway had a goal disallowed after a VAR check, with Haaland shown to have pushed Elliot Anderson during a corner. Another VAR intervention in extra time saw England's penalty overturned after a challenge on Djed Spence.
Alfie Haaland's Reaction
Alfie Haaland, watching from the stands, did not hide his frustration. After the referee announced the decision to overturn England's penalty, cameras caught him making a diving gesture towards England fans, sticking up two fingers, and appearing to say 'f*** off'.
After the game, he took to social media, writing: 'Well done Bellingham and referee.' Early on Sunday morning, he added: 'Saved bye [sic] the referee. Hope you win the WC now. But feel we got robbed today.'
Fan and Player Reactions
Fans quickly responded to Alfie's claims. One said: 'I'd genuinely love to know how they were 'robbed'. They had a goal disallowed for blatant foul. There was also an extremely debatable foul in the build up to their goal and the ref overturned a penalty for England??' Another added: 'I mean we had a clear penalty overturned mate. Wouldn't say the ref favoured us at all.' A third commented: 'No, Alfie, you should be proud of your country. The boys gave everything they had and fought until the very end. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that the other team was better on the day and accept it with grace.'
Alfie was not alone in his criticism. Norway winger Andreas Schjelderup said: 'Unfortunately, the margins were against us, the odds were against us. Some decisions by the referee were a bit bitter. If we lost fully it would have been a bit different.' Captain Martin Odegaard also added that Norway 'didn't get much help from the referee. The margins went against us and we had a bit of bad luck.'
Next Match
England will now face Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday night at 8pm. Argentina advanced after a 3-1 win over Switzerland after extra time.
