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While Erling Haaland’s on-field performance has established Norway at this World Cup, his off-field personality and digital presence have further catapulted his status. On the field, Haaland has scored seven goals in four matches, positioning himself at the center of the race for the tournament Golden Boot. He remains locked in a tight competition with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane as Norway prepares to face England in the quarterfinals. His scoring output includes a winner in the 86th minute against the Ivory Coast in the round of 32 and a two-goal performance to defeat Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16. Haaland’s interactions with the public have frequently gone viral online throughout the tournament. Ahead of the round of 16 match against Brazil, a video captured Haaland tapping a young mascot on the shoulder to shake his hand, leading the child to smile and exclaim, “Haaland!” in response. The forward has actively engaged with American sports and culture during his travels. After attending the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights, Haaland noted that hearing the American national anthem gave him goosebumps. When asked about the growing American fan base, he expressed mutual appreciation, stating, “It’s a good thing,” he added. “I like Americans. They’re hilarious. I like the way they are.” Following Norway’s victory in Dallas, he visited Wild Bill’s Western Store to buy multiple cowboy hats customized with his initials and jersey number, alongside a pair of snake-skin boots. “Look at this loser, drinking water,” some of Haaland’s teammates said, teasing him in the shop. “They complain when I order [water], but when I score goals they zip it up,” Haaland responded while he donned his cowboy hat and wore a shirt that read, “Y’all can kiss my Dallas.” Norway’s fans and players have embraced their heritage, making the synchronized Viking row chant a recognizable sight in places like Times Square. The team even participated in a promotional photo shoot by a fjord dressed as Norse warriors before departing for the tournament. After the victory over Brazil, Norway captain Martin Ødegaard handed Haaland the drumstick so the striker could lead the fans in the celebration from the pitch. This connection with the American audience has extended to network television. Haaland appeared on FOX’s “After Hours” with James Corden, who challenged the striker to non-football-related activities such as chess and painting. The show also featured Haaland competing against a youth table tennis champion and playing shuffleboard against his partner, Isabel Haugseng Johansen. During his appearance on “After Hours,” the conversation turned to his signature long hair. When asked about his hairstyle and whether he would consider cutting it, Haaland revealed advice he received from a legendary forward. “Zlatan, you know what he told me? ‘Never cut your hair because the strength is in the hair,'” Haaland said. “What can I do? I have to listen to him, no?” Haaland’s commercial reach has expanded alongside his World Cup performance. He was featured in Nike’s tournament commercial alongside LeBron James and Kim Kardashian, with Hollywood actor Channing Tatum serving as his comedic body double. This visibility has translated into major social media growth. His Instagram account has over 60 million followers, up from 40 million before the tournament; his public Snapchat account has over five million subscribers and his YouTube channel, where he has been documenting his experiences at the World Cup, has nearly three million subscribers. The viral footprint of the Norwegian team extended directly into the digital space earlier this week when Haaland shared a brief message on his X account. “One thing to do today… search my name on Google” to alert fans to an interactive feature developed by the search engine. When users searched for Erling Haaland on the platform, a custom animation triggers at the bottom of the screen. The feature displays animated characters wearing Norwegian flags performing the synchronized Viking row celebration that has followed the team’s victories throughout the tournament. The digital tribute arrived as online interest in the forward reached record levels during the tournament. Haaland has scored seven goals in five matches, matching the long-standing record set by Poland’s Grzegorz Lato in 1974 for the most goals scored by a player in a debut World Cup campaign. The combination of his scoring output and off-field content has made the team’s traditional celebrations globally recognizable, yet despite the massive personal brand growth, Haaland has seemingly not let the extra attention get to his head. Norway enters the quarterfinals with the opportunity to reach the semifinals for the first time in its history, but despite his surging popularity across the United States, Haaland maintains a remarkably modest outlook on Norway’s tournament prospects. “To play in the World Cup, play on the biggest stage, against the best teams in the world, it’s very special,” Haaland told reporters ahead of the quarterfinal match against England. Before the round-of-16 matchup against Brazil, he was asked about his team’s chances of defeating the five-time world champions. “Uh … very slim,” Haaland said. After he scored twice to secure the 2-1 upset, reporters asked if his outlook on winning the tournament had shifted ahead of the quarterfinal against England. “Really low, still,” Haaland told reporters. This low-profile stance appears to be a calculated effort to alleviate expectations of him and his teammates and redirect the spotlight toward tournament heavyweights. “I think there’s some clear favorites out there, England’s one of them. I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads,” Haaland said. That relaxed mindset has been consistent throughout the campaign. Even before resting on the bench during a 4-1 group-stage loss to France, Haaland remained unfazed. “I couldn’t care too much about that game now. They are probably going to win against us; they’re probably going to win the whole tournament,” Haaland said before Norway faced France. With a spot in the semifinals on the line on Saturday in Miami, the striker is fully aware of the magnitude of the moment for his home country, even if he refuses to buy into the championship predictions. “Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians. And to win against Brazil, and then go and play England in the quarterfinals in the World Cup in the USA is quite special,” Haaland said.  “And think if you watch the scenes back in Norway, this is not normal for Norway … it’s super special.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

On Friday in Los Angeles, Spain extended its fantastic record against Belgium, leaving it late once again. Goals from Fabián Ruiz and a stoppage-time winner from super-sub Mikel Merino secured a 2-1 victory and a place in the 2026 World Cup semifinals. Spain has now gone 12 matches unbeaten against Belgium, including six straight wins with an aggregate score of 14–1. It is also unbeaten in 35 matches in all competitions, matching its longest ever streak. For Belgium, the odds were always against Rudi Garcia’s side due to some notable injuries, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois having to leave the match with an apparent leg injury. The Red Devils did deliver a physical and inspiring encounter, pushing their opponent and even scoring, which was the first time Spain had conceded at the World Cup. In fact, it was the first World Cup goal it had conceded in 649 minutes. Ultimately, it’s Spain in the semifinals, its first such appearance at the World Cup since 2010 — when La Roja won it all. Here are my takeaways from Spain’s World Cup quarterfinal win over Belgium. 1. Mikel Merino To The Rescue … AGAIN! It took the Arsenal midfielder six minutes to score the winner in stoppage time against Portugal in the round of 16, but he apparently thought that took too long. So, on Friday, he did it again in just less than two minutes. It was just another example of Merino’s incredible ability to secure winners — for club and country — when they needed him the most. It’s also important to remember that the 30-year-old is not a striker, but Luis de la Fuente, just like Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, knows too well the poaching and scoring threat he can introduce to any match. 2. Belgium Went Through Hell When it rains, it pours. For Belgium, the issues started before kickoff as midfielder Amadou Onana’s ACL injury was already going to be a problem for Garcia’s midfield needs. But then, his Aston Villa teammate Youri Tielemans also suffered a knock in the warmup, so now the Red Devils had massive roles to cover in the center of the pitch. And against Spain, who possess a starting midfield potency of Manchester City’s Rodri, PSG’s Fabián Ruiz and Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, not having Tielemans was a huge blow. Consequently, as Belgium kept fighting, its goalkeeper, arguably the best in the game, Real Madrid star Courtois, had to come off in the 71st minute. Things were just not going to get easier for the Red Devils. It was forced to play a very direct, counter-attacking match, and it was actually a great strategy against Spain. It even kept it at 1-1 until Merino popped up in the right place at the right time. Still, the likes of Belgium defenders Nathan Ngoy and Brandon Mechele had their best performances. 3. Jérémy Doku vs. Lamine Yamal Was Excellent We are usually familiar with Doku’s work on the ball and ability to terrorize defenders, but Friday’s performance was about more than just that. The Premier League star had to play an extra role in helping his teammates, especially left back Maxim De Cuyper, in completing the daunting task of slowing down Yamal on Spain’s right wing. Doku worked extremely hard to ensure protection against the Barcelona phenom and, for the most part, it worked as Yamal was unable to score. The 18-year-old was still a threat, but Doku made sure his adversary did not produce a familiar highlight of magic. It was a selfless performance. 4. Spain Now Prepares For Its Biggest Test: France Aside from earning the victory, Merino’s winner was also a welcome moment for Spain because it kept the team from playing extra time. That’s even more important since France will have an extra day of rest going into next Tuesday’s matchup. De La Fuente’s team will surely take every moment of recovery that it can get. This will hopefully be an encounter of massive proportions. If it’s anything like last year’s Nations League semifinal, it will be full of fireworks, as that particular match ended 5-4 in favor of Spain. This will be their first World Cup encounter since 2006, when France came out with a 3-1 win and ended up losing to Italy in the final after the infamous Zidane headbutt over Marco Materazzi.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

U.S. Soccer on Thursday named Steve Cherundolo as the head coach for the U-23 Olympic team that will compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The team will soon begin preparing for the Olympics during the coming international windows, and the task at hand is enormously important to the full national team. With the U.S. men’s national team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup, many of the team’s most important players will be exiting their prime years during the upcoming World Cup cycle. Many of these players have been together since shortly after the team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Regardless of who the coach is, the new cycle will require heavy turnover. The 2028 Olympic team will be essential in filling those openings on the full national team, as many of the top young American players will participate in a major FIFA youth competition. The U.S. is not alone in prioritizing this tournament, as the 2026 World Cup has shown how top countries have benefited from the Olympics. France’s current World Cup team is boosted by seven players from its 2024 Olympic team. Spain’s World Cup team has six players from its 2024 Olympic team (not including Fermín López, who would have made this World Cup team if not for injury). Meanwhile, Morocco had six players who made the transition from the 2024 Olympics to the 2026 World Cup team (although Abde Ezzalzouli withdrew due to injury after being named to the World Cup team). U.S. Soccer understands this. “There’s a lot of data that suggests that success in youth World Cups and in Olympic cycles on the men’s side creates accelerated player development and creates the conditions for success in subsequent World Cups,” U.S. Soccer COO Dan Helfrich said in May. “You will see us strategically investing more attention and resources and focus on the youth national team games program, on elevating the men’s Olympic team to prepare us to be in the best competitive position,” he added. “I think those things will have a significant role in the competitive preparation for our future men’s World Cup and other major tournament performances.” Cherundolo’s Pragmatic Approach Steve Cherundolo has about as strong a resume as you can reasonably expect for a U-23 Olympic team coach. As a player, he was a very important player for both Hannover 96 in Germany and the U.S. national team, where he had 87 caps, with his best performances coming at the 2010 World Cup, where he became a fan favorite. He began his coaching career at the youth levels of Hannover and later as an assistant for Germany’s U-15 national team. He later returned stateside to coach Los Angeles FC from 2022-2025, where he won both the MLS Cup and the Supporters Shield in 2022 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2024. In 2025, he led LAFC to an impressive win over Club America to qualify for the Club World Cup. Cherundolo’s LAFC teams featured a balanced mix of high pressing, solid defensive organization, and quick transitions often led by top MLS wingers such as Denis Bouanga and Carlos Vela. In possession, Cherundolo was often pragmatic and flexible, using either 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 formations depending on the game or the opponent. That adaptability could be useful for the U.S. U-23 team, as it is unclear what the strengths of that roster will be. Key U-23 Players The explosive Real Salt Lake winger/wing back is arguably the top teenager prospect in the American system, and he was reportedly close to making the 2026 World Cup team. The former Inter Miami homegrown midfielder is fully with Parma and won the Golden Boot at the 2025 U-20 World Cup. The San Jose Earthquakes attacking midfielder was at a high level this season before an injury. He could drive the Olympic team’s attack. The New England Revolution left wing/left back is also one of the top teenagers in MLS and is a very good wide player. The Barcelona backup goalkeeper is likely the Olympic starter and a player many hope will eventually push onto the full national team. He is now on loan at Lyngby in Denmark. The 18-year-old New York Red Bulls forward has 12 goals in 2026 and could already be the best U-23 center forward. The 17-year-old midfielder has also been instrumental to the youth movement at the New York Red Bulls, where he is a regular starter who is exceptionally mature for his age. The former Louisville SC and current Benfica central defender has been a staple of U.S. youth teams for years. He desperately needs more first-team minutes, but he remains the best option at his position. Over-Age Players Will Be Key The Olympic team is a U-23 event, but teams are allowed three overage players. That is typically where teams find difference makers. The challenge for this team is that the full national team could be playing in the Copa América. Ideally, this team needs an over-age central defender (as is typical), a defensive midfielder, and an attacker. It will ultimately come down to what the federation and individual players want to prioritize. It is unlikely a player will play in both tournaments. Rebuilding Public Enthusiasm Even beyond the on-field benefits of this tournament, the Olympics are immensely popular with the American public. Having a tournament on home soil is another opportunity to endear the team to the American public. The Olympics would offer an opportunity beyond just developing players for the future. The Copa América is a huge tournament, but the Olympics have always been deeply connected with Americans. Winning a medal would be something that fans care about, and that is something the men’s program has not been able to deliver that very often. Playing at the Rose Bowl with an Olympic medal on the line would be a special moment for the program.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports