Airline wager sees Norwegian Air adopt British Airways’ colours after World Cup quarter-final
13.07.2026
A recent social media wager between Norwegian Air and British Airways concluded with Norwegian Air changing its Instagram profile picture to the British Airways crest for 24 hours. This followed England‘s 2-1 victory over Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match on July 11.
The friendly bet stipulated that the airline representing the losing country would temporarily swap its Instagram logo with that of the winning country’s airline. Norwegian Air honoured the agreement promptly, replacing its usual red tail logo with the familiar blue ribbon and crest of British Airways.
The airline posted a message alongside the temporary logo, stating, “While the tournament is over for us, this friendly bet will forever live in all our hearts.” They also extended well wishes to England and British Airways for the semi-final, expressing hope that they would “bring football home.”
The Quarter-Final Encounter
The quarter-final match saw England secure a 2-1 win after initially trailing 1-0. This victory advanced the Lionesses to a semi-final clash against Argentina in Atlanta. For Norway, the match marked their best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign, reaching the last eight for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Norway‘s participation in the 2026 World Cup was their first since 1998. Their previous best performances included reaching the Round of 16 in 1938 and 1998, as well as a group-stage appearance in the 1994 World Cup.
The game itself drew considerable attention, with former England footballer David Beckham attending with his wife Victoria and their children, Harper, Romeo, and Cruz. Tennis legend Venus Williams was also present with her husband, Andrea Preti.
Following the final whistle, Norway striker Erling Haaland was seen embracing England‘s match-winner, Jude Bellingham, who was his former teammate at Borussia Dortmund. Haaland praised Bellingham as “one of the best in the world,” adding that “England is lucky because everybody would want a Jude in the team.”
Reflecting on Norway‘s World Cup journey, Haaland commented on how the team had “put Norway on the map,” noting that this achievement “touches me the most” and suggesting it would bring about change for both Norway and himself.
Brand Rivalry and Public Relations
The wager between the two airlines generated millions of impressions for both brands at no direct cost, highlighting a growing trend of corporate sports wagers as a public relations strategy. These bets are often seen as a way to turn competition into engaging content.
This particular bet gained significant traction as both teams had made deep runs in the tournament, with Norway reaching its first-ever World Cup quarter-final and England aiming to “bring football home.” The event was well-timed during the knockout week of the World Cup 2026, a tournament for which demand has been described as “absolutely crazy” by the FIFA president.
The rivalry between Norwegian Air and British Airways has historical context; BA‘s parent company, IAG, previously attempted to acquire Norwegian and held a 4.6% stake. Norwegian Air had also surpassed British Airways as the largest non-US airline on New York routes in 2018, disrupting transatlantic fares.
The approach taken by Norwegian Air, embracing the loss gracefully and with self-deprecating humour, was noted as a distinctive brand tone, contrasting with the typical luxury and sport collaborations seen in 2026. After 24 hours, Norwegian Air reverted its logo to its original design, concluding the wager without further implications.
Such corporate wagers have precedents, including the 2013 Super Bowl bet between Budweiser and MillerCoors, the 2014 World Cup challenge between McDonald’s Brazil and McDonald’s USA, and the 2016 Euro bet involving Icelandair and British Airways. The 2018 World Cup also saw Aeromexico and Lufthansa engage in a similar public challenge, with Lufthansa posting “Viva Mexico” with a sombrero on a plane livery mockup for 24 hours after Mexico beat Germany.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final between England and Norway took place on July 11.
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Source: brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com
Ishaan Kapoor
Sports correspondent covering cricket, football and international competitions.