NRK criticised for comparing Nusa goal to JFK assassination

Norwegian broadcaster NRK has faced criticism for comparing Antonio Nusa’s World Cup goal to the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, Dagbladet reports.

The phrase “the shot in Dallas” was used by NRK reporter Ole Rolfsrud shortly after Nusa scored in Norway’s Round of 16 match against Ivory Coast in Arlington, Texas. The term is widely associated with the 1963 killing of Kennedy in Dallas.

Veteran TV figure Lasse Hallberg told Dagbladet he was shocked by the remark. “I just thought: ‘Are you completely out of your mind?’” he said. “This was a fantastic shot and goal by Nusa, but comparing it to ‘the shot in Dallas’? That’s a major misstep.”

Hallberg questioned how the comment passed editorial review, adding: “What if Norway had won the World Cup final—would we compare that to 9/11? If the final were in Oslo, would we draw parallels to 22 July? You have to think before saying such things.”

Former TV 2 sports journalist Dayvy Wathne called the remark “insensitive and cheap” in a post on X, stating that the JFK assassination was “a shock and something you never joke about.”

NRK’s sports editor Espen Olsen Langfeldt acknowledged the phrasing was “unfortunate.” “As long as this was said without context or explanation, this one sentence in the segment was poorly worded,” he said. He added that while NRK had not received formal complaints, the broadcaster understood the reaction and should have discussed the reference internally before airing.

NRK reporter Ole Rolfsrud has not responded to Dagbladet’s request for comment.