Erling Haaland’s dream of lifting the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy came to a painful end against England, but the Norwegian superstar didn’t let that distract from his admiration for the man who led the charge against his team. Instead of dwelling on Norway’s exit, Haaland praised Jude Bellingham in his post-game interview.

“Jude is a good friend,” Haaland told reporters after the game. “We had two good years together in Dortmund. So, we keep in touch and everything, and he’s such a good guy. I’ve said it so many times. We had so much fun together. And I’m not surprised that he scores two goals today and performs the way he does.”

His comments came after the two shared a hug and some words both during the game and after the final whistle, and when asked about his relationship with his former teammate, he made it clear that there was nothing but respect between the two.

The Norwegian striker then shifted his focus to the criticism Bellingham has faced despite becoming one of football’s brightest stars. He rejected the narrative, pointing to his all-around impact instead of pure scoring.

“I think he gets a bit too much of critic because he don’t score enough goals or whatever it is,” he said. “I think he don’t really deserve it because I think he’s one of the best in the world. And he’s a midfielder. He still scores goals. He still managed to dribble every single player on the on the field.”

His admiration didn’t stop there, because Haaland concluded that both England and his club, Real Madrid, are lucky since “everybody would want a Jude in the team.” Those comments come after Bellingham was the clear leader in England’s quarterfinal win over Norway.

Bellingham delivered his first goal in the first half to equalize the game. His game-winner came in the 93rd minute after the Norwegian goalie failed to grab the ball following an England shot attempt. He is now up to six goals scored for the tournament.

Erling Haaland’s comments highlight the friendship the two have shared since their time together with Borussia Dortmund, before they moved on in 2022 to become stars for Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.

While Norway’s historic World Cup run came to an end today, Haaland showed that there were no hard feelings, choosing to celebrate his former teammate in one of the classiest moments of the night.