The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final between England and Norway sparked more than excitement on the pitch, as a friendly social media wager between British Airways and Norwegian captured global attention.
Ahead of the match, the two airlines agreed that whichever country’s team lost would replace its Instagram profile picture with the rival airline’s logo for 24 hours. After England secured a 2-1 victory to reach the semi-finals, Norwegian honored the bet by changing its profile image to the British Airways logo, drawing widespread praise for its sportsmanship and creativity.
A Friendly Bet That Won Over Social Media
The challenge began when Norwegian tagged British Airways on Instagram, proposing the lighthearted wager. Under the agreement, British Airways would switch its profile picture if Norway won, while Norwegian would do the same if England emerged victorious.
British Airways accepted the challenge with a playful response, telling its rival, “Don’t make a bet you can’t win.” The exchange quickly gained traction online, attracting attention from social media users, airlines, airports, travel brands, and other major accounts.
Norwegian Keeps Its Promise
Following England’s victory, Norwegian updated its Instagram profile with the British Airways logo and congratulated the airline on the win.
In its post, Norwegian praised England’s performance and wished the team success in the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The airline also expressed hope that the friendly contest would strengthen ties between the two companies and joked that its social media team might now enjoy visiting British Airways’ offices.
Humorous Posts Continue the Banter
After changing its profile picture, Norwegian shared another humorous message asking whether users would mistake its posts for British Airways content over the next 24 hours. The joke quickly attracted thousands of reactions and comments.
British Airways also celebrated the spirit of the exchange, posting: “Rivals for 90 minutes, friends forever.”
Norwegian responded by thanking its counterpart, describing the campaign as a memorable contest and saying it would now be cheering for England to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy.
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