A friendly social media challenge between two European airlines turned into one of the most talked-about World Cup 2026 moments off the pitch after Norwegian Air temporarily replaced its Instagram logo with British Airways' iconic Speedmarque following England's dramatic FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway.
What began as a playful wager between the two carriers quickly captured the attention of millions online, with other international airlines joining the banter before Norwegian honoured its promise after England's 2-1 extra-time win in Miami.
British Airways and Norwegian Air turned a football rivalry into social media gold
The light-hearted contest began ahead of the FIFA World Cup quarter-final when Norwegian Air challenged British Airways to a logo bet on Instagram.
The rules were straightforward. If Norway won, British Airways would swap its Instagram profile picture for Norwegian Air's logo for one day. If England came out on top, Norwegian Air would do the same.
Norwegian Air teased its British counterpart by asking whether it was ready to "risk your logo."
British Airways responded with equal confidence. "Don't make bets you can't win."
It later accepted the challenge with another playful post: "Challenge accepted! Just don't be surprised if we take the win at cruising altitude."
Earlier in the exchange, the airline also joked: "Scared? Nor-way, mate."
FIFA World Cup quarter-final delivers dramatic finish
The friendly wager remained alive until the final whistle as the World Cup quarter-final produced plenty of drama.
Norway took the lead through Andreas Schjelderup in the 36th minute, putting England under pressure.
England responded in first-half stoppage time when Jude Bellingham levelled the score before finding the net again early in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory and send England into the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
The result meant Norwegian Air had officially lost the wager.
Norwegian Air keeps its promise after England's victory
True to its word, Norwegian Air temporarily replaced its usual Instagram profile picture with British Airways' Speedmarque logo.
The airline also congratulated both England and British Airways with a post that read: "It's coming home."
