Erling Haaland Says Goodbye to the U.S. After ‘Emotional’ World Cup Run with Norway
Erling Haaland Says Goodbye to the U.S. After ‘Emotional’ World Cup Run with Norway
Jaclyn HendricksMon, July 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM UTC
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Erling Haaland during the 2026 World Cup on July 11, 2026Credit: Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty -
Erling Haaland reflected on his World Cup debut after Norway’s quarterfinal loss to England in Miami
The Norwegian star scored seven goals in four games and gained massive popularity during the tournament
Haaland compared the experience to a life-changing journey as fans embraced him across the United States
Erling Haaland is heading home.
One day after Norway fell to England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, the Norwegian soccer star took to Instagram on Sunday, July 12, to bid farewell to the United States, where he became a fan favorite during the global tournament.
“Goodbye 🇺🇸 [America] It’s been emotional,” Haaland, 25, wrote alongside a selfie, in which he sported red tinted sunglasses, a backward baseball cap and a black zip-up jacket.
The post dropped hours after Haaland’s dazzling World Cup run came to an end with a 2-1 loss to England in Miami on Saturday, July 11. The superstar forward failed to crack the net on Saturday after scoring seven goals across four games in his debut World Cup appearance.
Scorching temperatures also appeared to factor in to Saturday’s match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with a heat index at Hard Rock Stadium reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the . Haaland was subbed off during the break in extra time on Saturday, with Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, stating, “It was not a tough decision to take him out.”
“He was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out 10 minutes before. ... He also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue. He did everything he could,” the coach said, per the AP.
Erling Haaland in action for Norway on July 11, 2026Credit: MB Media/Getty
Despite a disappointing finish, Haaland — who currently plays for Manchester City in the Premier League —acknowledged what an “insane journey” the tournament has been for him.
“I think this has changed my life, to be honest,” Haaland said, according to the AP.
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Fans have embraced Haaland throughout the tournament, with Sam Lee of The Athletic reporting how his meteoric rise has been compared to star Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce when he began dating his now-wife, Taylor Swift, in 2023.
“Haaland’s camp has been told that social-media algorithms are being geared towards Haaland content, because that is where the demand is,” Lee wrote Wednesday, July 8 on X. “His boom in popularity in the US has been likened to when Travis Kelce began dating Taylor Swift and then his Kansas City Chiefs team won that season’s Super Bowl.”
Haaland, who is in a longterm relationship with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, felt the love on Sunday in response to his farewell post.
Erling Haaland became a fan-favorite during the 2026 World CupCredit: LightRocket via Getty Images
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“the people’s Viking king 👑 Haal-lelujah!” financial card company Visa wrote in the comments of Haaland’s post.
Canada, a co-host for this year’s World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico, also celebrated Haaland.
“Goodbye, Viking man who makes people yell at the TV in many different ways,” the nation’s Instagram account posted Sunday.
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
