Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane has responded sharply to criticism from Alf-Inge Haaland following England's 2-1 victory over Norway in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, İdman.Biz reports.
After the match, Haaland - the father of Norway striker Erling Haaland - claimed on social media that England had benefited from the referee's decisions.
"You were saved by the referee. I hope you go on to win the World Cup, but I feel we were unfairly robbed today," he wrote.
One of the game's key moments came when French referee Clement Turpin disallowed a Norwegian goal after ruling that Erling Haaland had pushed his marker during a corner before heading the ball into the net.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane admitted that some marginal decisions appeared to go England's way but insisted they did not decide the outcome of the match.
"I think the referee gave England quite a few of the 50-50 decisions. I'm not talking about the major incidents. It just seemed he leaned slightly towards England, and that happens in football. I'm certainly not saying he cost Norway the game, but a few decisions could have gone the other way," Keane said.
The Irishman then aimed a sarcastic remark at Alf-Inge Haaland.
"Will he even remember the match? Because every time I see him at games, he seems to be drinking alcohol. Seriously, if you've had a few drinks, you probably see the game differently."
Keane also defended the decision to rule out the goal.
"If it's a borderline incident, I'm usually inclined to go against England, but a push is a push. Then Haaland headed the ball. That's it."
England advanced to the World Cup semifinals, where Thomas Tuchel's side will face defending champions Argentina for a place in the final.
