British Airways, Norwegian Air bet logos ahead of FIFA World Cup quarterfinal

3 min readNew DelhiJul 11, 2026 06:45 PM IST

Two of Europe's biggest airlines turned England vs Norway quarter-final into a light-hearted social media contest

The buzz around this year’s Fifa World Cup hasn’t just been limited to the stadiums. Two of Europe’s biggest airlines turned England vs Norway quarter-final into a light-hearted social media contest, with a playful wager that quickly caught the attention of football fans online.

A few days before the match, Norwegian Air Shuttle threw down the gauntlet to British Airways on Instagram. “Ready to risk your logo?” the airline asked on July 8, before proposing an unusual bet.

“If Norway wins, you have to switch to our logo on Instagram on Sunday (one day). And vice versa. Deal?” the airline wrote.

British Airways wasn’t backing down. “Don’t make bets you can’t win,” it replied. Norwegian fired back with, “Does this mean you’re too scared?” prompting the British carrier to answer with, “Scared? Nor-way, mate.”

Playful banter continues

The friendly exchange didn’t end there. British Airways later shared a video featuring the famous football slogan, “It’s coming home,” a phrase long associated with England’s hopes of lifting a major trophy.

Soon after, the airline posted another message, tagging Norwegian and teasing that it had something to say. Norwegian responded, “We have something to tell you, too. Check our last post,” directing followers back to its original challenge before asking, “Will you take the bet?”

After keeping fans waiting for a while, British Airways finally accepted.

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“Hey there. Challenge accepted! Just don’t be surprised if we take the win at cruising altitude,” the airline wrote.

‘It’s on’

On July 10, Norwegian Air confirmed that the wager was officially happening after British Airways agreed to the challenge.

“Love the confidence. Check your DMs for the logo swap,” Norwegian wrote, before sharing a meme with the caption, “It’s on.” Under the agreement, the airline representing the losing nation will temporarily replace its Instagram profile logo with that of its rival for one day following the match.

Other airlines join the fun

The exchange quickly gained traction on social media, with users eagerly waiting to see which airline would end up changing its Instagram logo after Sunday’s result.

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Several airlines also joined the conversation in the comments section.

Malaysia Airlines joked, “We’ll be watching with our satay in one hand and signature drink in the other.”

Austrian Airlines added, “You two fight over the logo. We‘ll bring the Schnitzel.”

Meanwhile, SWISS chimed in with, “No time for popcorn, we have to prepare for @leomessi.”