World Cup 2026: Norway face questions as Erling Haaland rested against France

Norway face questions as Erling Haaland rested against France

Norway suffered a 4-1 defeat to France at Boston Stadium on Friday, June 26, after manager Stale Solbakken opted to make 10 changes to his starting lineup. The decision saw star forward Erling Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard begin the match on the bench, ending a run where the same starting XI had secured wins over Iraq and Senegal.

The match, framed as a Golden Boot battle between Haaland and France's Kylian Mbappe, instead became a showcase for Ousmane Dembele. The Ballon d'Or winner scored a hat-trick in a 25-minute first-half blitz. France's dominance began early when Mbappe struck the underside of the crossbar within the opening minute.

Solbakken described the decision to rotate his squad as a no-brainer, citing input from the medical and physio departments as well as the players. He noted that after the match against Senegal on Tuesday, June 23, five or six players — including the entire defensive line and some midfielders — were very affected after 80 minutes.

The manager admitted the only remaining consideration was for the fans, who would have wanted to see Odegaard and Haaland play. He argued that the short window between Tuesday and Friday necessitated the rest.

The strategic gamble has left Norway with a difficult logistical path. By failing to win the group, Norway missed out on a Round of 32 match at the New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30. Instead, the team must travel 1,100 miles from their base in Greensboro, North Carolina, to play Ivory Coast in Arlington, Texas, on the same day. Had they topped Group I, the trip would have been half that distance.

If Norway defeats Ivory Coast, they will return to New Jersey for a last-16 tie on July 5 against the winner of the Brazil-Japan match.

Haaland, who had scored four goals in the previous two group games, seemed unsurprised by the result. Following the Senegal win, he stated,

"I couldn't care too much about that game now. They're probably going to win against us. They're probably going to win the whole tournament."

Erling Haaland, Norway forward

The absence of Haaland's goal-scoring threat was evident as his deputy, Jorgen Strand Larsen, missed a penalty after half-time that would have reduced the deficit to 3-2. Norway recorded only 10 shots during the game, their lowest total of the 2026 World Cup.

Analysis of the rotation sparked debate among commentators. Former England striker Ian Wright told ITV Sport he was surprised by the scale of the changes, though he conceded that if Haaland needed rest for the later stages, he should take it. Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live that Norway's physical style, featuring about six players over 6ft 4in or 6ft 5in, means losing players to injury is a high risk. He suggested that a full-strength side would have given France less space.

Roy Keane, speaking on ITV, defended the move by noting that Norway, playing in their first World Cup since 1998, is not yet used to tournament football. He suggested the priority was simply qualifying for the knockout stages.

France assistant Guy Stephan, who was filling in for Didier Deschamps while the latter returned to France for his mother's funeral, said he was not surprised by Solbakken's tactics, stating the Norway coach wanted to prepare for the Round of 32.

Norway is now only the fourth team in a single World Cup edition to make 10 or more changes to a starting XI. Previous examples include Spain in 2006, who won their final group game against Saudi Arabia with 11 changes before losing 3-1 to France in the last 16, and Belgium in 2018, who made 10 changes before defeating Japan and Brazil.

France now tops Group I and looks toward the final on July 19 in New Jersey.