After weeks of nail-biting matches, controversial VAR decisions and dramatic penalty shoot-outs, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the quarterfinal stage, and the team loyalty isn’t just confined to the pitch.
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Ahead of Belgium’s last-eight clash with Spain at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday evening, pre-match jabs have already begun as the two European nations vie for a place in the semi-finals.
Rallying behind the Belgian Red Devils, Brussels Airlines is taking a playful swipe at its Spanish rivals.
According to the Belga News Agency, the carrier will be flying its Trident aircraft from Brussels Airport to Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante. There’s just one glaring catch: the plane is decked out in the national team’s colours.
“The aircraft, a red A320 with a darker tail, is adorned with a trident blending into a flame, a mix of the logos of the two national teams,” the news agency said, adding that it will be flown exclusively on the Spanish routes.
The Trident livery operated during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, after having launched in 2016. Initially, it featured only the design of the Red Devils' men's team. This was later replaced with the Red Flames design, paying homage to both the men's and women's players.
With six European teams still in contention to lift the 2026 World Cup, including Norway and England, Brussels Airlines isn’t the only carrier joining the pre-match banter.
On Sunday 12 July, England will take on Norway at the Miami Stadium. On its Instagram account, Norwegian Air challenged the UK’s flag carrier British Airways to change its logo on the digital platform should the Three Lions be knocked out by the Vikings.
Instagram users flooded the comments section to praise Norwegian’s marketing stunt as “pure cinema”, while others said the carrier’s quip had already scored a winner.
Whether Brussels Airlines or Norwegian’s antics age well ultimately depends on what happens when the whistle blows... May the best teams (and airlines) win.