VIDEO: Rude response of Erling Haaland’s dad to overturned England penalty decision - with frustrated father of Norway striker delivering sarcastic praise of World Cup referee

Expectations were high as Norway looked to cause an upset against the Three Lions, and they got off to a dream start when Andreas Schjelderup’s cross eluded Jordan Pickford to give them the lead. However, the evening quickly turned sour for the Scandinavians as Bellingham took control of the tie, netting a brace to send Thomas Tuchel's men through.

The match was marred by officiating controversy that left the Haaland family fuming. A second Norway goal was ruled out after Haaland was penalised for a push on Elliot Anderson, and FIFA was forced to issue a statement denying that the ball had struck a spidercam in the build-up to Bellingham's equaliser.

As the agonising decisions piled up against the Norwegians, the tension finally boiled over in the stands, culminating in an expletive gesture from Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, caught perfectly on the broadcast cameras.

The reaction occurred in extra time after England were awarded a penalty for Oscar Bobb's challenge on Djed Spence. While VAR intervened and referee Clement Turpin ultimately overturned the spot-kick, cameras cut to Haaland Senior in the VIP seats. Visibly furious at the chaotic officiating, he delivered a crude two-fingered salute toward the pitch.

The former City midfielder's frustrations did not end with his gestures in the stands. Frustrated by the refereeing decisions and England's dominance, the 51-year-old also took to social media to voice his anger as he posted a sarcastic message: "Well done Bellingham and referee." The comment was widely interpreted as an indictment of the perceived bias or errors that Norway felt cost them a place in the final four.

While the officiating took centre stage in the Haaland household, the statistics told another story of frustration on the pitch. According to Opta, England became the first team to prevent the Man City striker from scoring in a competitive international fixture since Austria managed the feat back in October 2024 - a drought spanning an incredible 636 days.

Shutting down Haaland was key to Tuchel's plan, and despite the chaos surrounding the VAR decisions, the Three Lions' defensive resilience eventually paid off. For the Haalands, however, the 2026 World Cup will be remembered for the decisions that the striker's father clearly feels cost them their place in history.