Norway may have fallen short on the pitch, but Norwegian Air emerged as one of the biggest winners online after honouring a viral social media bet with British Airways following England’s World Cup quarter-final victory. Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, Norwegian challenged British Airways on Instagram with a light-hearted wager.

The airline proposed that whichever nation lost the match would temporarily change its Instagram profile picture to the rival airline’s logo for 24 hours. What began as a simple social media challenge quickly captured the attention of football fans and brands alike, with the friendly exchange spreading far beyond the aviation industry. Other airlines joined the conversation, while thousands of supporters followed the bet as the match approached.

When England secured a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami, Norwegian wasted no time in keeping its word. The airline changed its Instagram profile picture to the British Airways logo and shared a graphic featuring the message: “It’s coming home” alongside “Well played, England & British Airways.”

In the caption, Norwegian congratulated both England and British Airways, writing that although the tournament had come to an end for Norway, the friendly challenge would remain a memorable part of the competition.

British Airways also embraced the moment, sharing its own post celebrating the sporting rivalry. The airline thanked Norwegian for taking part in the challenge and praised the good-natured spirit shown throughout the exchange.

Rather than disappearing after the defeat, Norwegian continued to engage with fans online and earned widespread praise for the way it handled the loss. The airline even appeared in the comments section of British Airways’ post, thanking its rival for taking part and describing the previous few days as a fun experience for everyone involved.

In one message, Norwegian wrote: “Thank you for a great match and a REALLY fun few days!” before adding that it was grateful British Airways had been willing to join in the challenge.

The airline also suggested the two brands should build on their newfound friendship, joking that its social media team would love to visit British Airways’ home turf.

The playful interaction continued across social media platforms, including The Shade Borough, where Fly Norwegian joined the conversation and explained why it had gone through with the challenge. Responding to fans, the airline wrote: “It’s the least we could do to keep our promise.”