Erling Haaland was substituted just before the start of the second half of extra time during Norway’s clash against England.
While there has been no official confirmation, the decision appeared to be largely precautionary due to fatigue.
The hot and humid conditions in Miami, combined with the fact that the No. 9 had already played more than 105 minutes, likely prompted the coach to introduce fresh legs as Norway trailed 2-1.
Fans call out manager’s decision to bench Haaland
However, fans quickly took to social media to react to the decision to take Haaland off during extra time.
A fan wrote on X, “Erling Braut Haaland is out we’re so cooked.”
Another one commented, “It was all over after Haaland got subbed.”
One more fan added, “I just realized Haaland was taken off at the break that’s shit from the manager.”
Sorloth also faces the heat
Fans also pointed to a key first-half moment involving Alexander Sorloth, when Norway had a two-on-one break with Erling Haaland in space.
Instead of squaring the ball to his strike partner, Sorloth opted to shoot himself, wasting what many believed was a golden opportunity.
A user posted the video of that moment and wrote, “2 v 1 with fcvking Erling Haaland by your side and you chose to feed your ego… shame on you Sorloth.”
Haaland out of Golden boot race
The Manchester City striker managed three shots during the quarter-final but was unable to find the back of the net.
Had he scored against England, Haaland would have joined Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the top of the Golden Boot race with eight goals.
The 90 minutes drama
The Vikings’ only goal came from a stunning strike by Andreas Schjelderup in the first half, giving Norway an early lead. However, Jude Bellingham once again stepped up, scoring the equaliser just minutes later.
Both sides continued to create chances throughout the match, with Norway also having a goal disallowed, but the score remained 1-1 as the contest headed into extra time.
Bellingham scores winner in extra time
It took England’s No. 10 just over two minutes into extra time to find the net again, completing his brace and putting England in front in the race for a place in the semi-finals.
England were even awarded a penalty after their second goal, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review.
The score remained 2-1 until the halfway point of extra time, when Norway manager Stale Solbakken decided to substitute Erling Haaland and bring on Jorge Strand Larsen.
Also read: Why does Erling Haaland use ‘Braut’ on his Norway World Cup jersey? The meaning behind the surname
Strand Larsen had started only one match earlier in the tournament, during Norway’s final group-stage fixture against France.
However, the Norwegian side failed to find an equaliser, and England booked their place in the semi-finals after the final whistle.
