Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg stuns teammates by walking off the field seconds before kick-off in Women’s World Cup clash
- Hegerberg left the field seconds before kick-off against Switzerland
- Amid confusion, the star was replaced by Roma striker Sophie Roman Haug
- After being held to a 0-0 draw, hopes for the World Cup in Norway are hanging by a thread
Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg stunned her teammates after walking off the field seconds before kick-off in their Women’s World Cup match against Switzerland.
Star striker Hegerberg was named in the starting line-up, but withdrew just before the game started and walked through the tunnel.
This led to confused looks from her teammates, before Roma striker Sophie Roman Haug was finally brought in as her replacement.
Hegerberg, who plays club football for France’s Lyon, watched from the bench as Norway could only manage a draw in Hamilton.
Hegerberg stunned her teammates after she walked off the field seconds before kick-off
Star striker Hegerberg (pictured) was named in the starting line-up but retired just before the match started as she left the pitch before going through the tunnel
After the final whistle, Hegerberg said: “There was an acceleration just before kick-off that made me feel something. It made me want to risk nothing.
“I wish I could have contributed, but I think the girls worked hard. We’re missing the last piece we need and deserve.’
The 28-year-old tweeted to explain why she left the field, saying: “I felt uncomfortable sprinting just after the national anthem.
“We decided with the staff that no chances should be taken and no substitutions should be wasted in such an important match for us, and we all relied on Sophie, Karina and the team to do the job, which they did. We go on.’
Having been held to a draw, World Cup hopes in Norway are hanging by a thread as they sit bottom of Group A with just one point from their first two games and face an early exit.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s goalless draw means they need just a point from their final group game against co-hosts New Zealand to qualify for the knockout stages.
It is not the first time Hegerberg has withdrawn from a World Cup match – although her reasons for doing so have previously caused much more controversy.
The former Ballon d’Or winner pulled out of Norway’s squad for the previous leg of the tournament in France in 2019 as part of a multi-year protest against a perceived disrespect for female players.
Hegerberg was infamously asked to twerk by French DJ Martin Solveig after she was awarded the Ballon d’Or in December 2018.
DJ Martin Solveig (centre) was at the center of a row over sexism after asking Ada Hegerberg if she could ‘twerk’ when she won the first female Ballon d’Or in December 2018
The striker, who won the Ballon d’Or for women, was not impressed by the DJ
The Lyon striker takes a stand on an alleged disrespect for female players
Hegerberg was the first female winner of the Ballon d’Or, but declined to play at the 2019 World Cup due to ongoing disagreements with the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) over how women are treated compared to men.
In 2017, the NFF signed an equal pay agreement with the country’s players’ association, but Hegerberg continued her exile.
“It’s not always about the money,” she said at the time. “There are several changes that need to be made before I would evaluate return.
“It’s not about changing my mind. It’s about what they (NFF) need to do to improve themselves first and foremost, both as a national team and as a football association.
“They still have a long way to go. That’s all there is to say on my part.’
Hegerberg finally returned to international competition at last year’s European Championship, which ended a self-imposed five-year exile from the national team.