Erling Haaland has bluntly admitted that "France will probably beat us," cooling down the tournament hype surrounding Norway right before their highly anticipated showdown on Friday, June 26, 2026. Despite
Haaland's realistic caution, the match at Boston Stadium is a massive heavyweight battle between two teams that have already dominated Group I. "Honestly, I don't care too much now... They're probably going to win against us. They're probably going to win the whole tournament.” Following his brilliant brace in Norway's 3-2 victory over Senegal, Haaland stated he "did not care too much" about the looming France match because France is the favorite to win the whole tournament.
This final group match will determine the winner of Group I. Norway currently leads the group on goal differential. This match isn't just a match for FIFA World Cup 2026 knockouts but also serves as a direct face-off between two of the world's most elite strikers for the Golden Boot. Argentina's Lionel Messi already leads the tournament with 5 goals, while Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland sit right behind him with 4 goals each. Haaland single-handedly ended Norway's 28-year World Cup drought by scoring 16 goals in the qualifiers. He has carried that form into the main tournament with back-to-back braces in his first two games. France head coach Didier Deschamps has publicly expressed excitement for the "great duel" between Mbappé and Haaland, recognizing it as a defining moment of the group stage.
Erling Haaland was asked about Norway’s Group I decider against Kylian Mbappe’s France. “I don't care much. They'll probably beat us and win the title.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/tYuEEdPZhl
— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) June 23, 2026
Earling Haaland opens up on viral viking celebration
The "Viking Row" completely took over the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ as a massive cultural movement.The celebration exploded into a global phenomenon following Norway's thrilling 3–2 victory over Senegal at MetLife Stadium. The triumph officially booked their spot in the Round of 32. According to post-match interviews with ESPN, the squad’s decision to perform the ritual on the pitch was highly calculated but spontaneous. Captain Martin Ødegaard approached Erling Haaland in the dressing room before kickoff. He noticed how the ritual was dominating social media. Ødegaard asked Haaland, "Do you think we should join in?" Haaland instantly replied, "If we win, let's do it, why not?”
Erling Haaland revealed that the viral "Viking Row" celebration was planned pre-match with captain Martin Ødegaard after Norway's thrilling 3–2 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium. Speaking to Fox Sports and reporters post-match, Haaland explained how the team decided to join the fans. "It was amazing. I saw it in Times Square, it was a good feeling there... It was a pretty special moment for the whole of Norge.” The entire squad sat down shoulder-to-shoulder on the pitch in a "longboat" formation. Led by Ødegaard energetically pounding a large red drum, players and thousands of fans rocked back and forth in a synchronized rowing motion. The stadium echoed with a thunderous collective war cry of "Ro! Ro! Ro!" (the Norwegian word for row).
