Why Erling Haaland Didn't Play In Norway's 4-1 Loss To France: 'It Was An Easy Decision'
June 28, 2026 · Global
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken opted to rest key players, including star striker Erling Haaland, in the 4–1 loss to France at the 2026 World Cup. Solbakken stated that this decision was an 'easy decision' to ensure the team's survival in the tournament, prioritizing rest over finishing in first place in the group. France achieved victory, while Norway will face Ivory Coast in the next round.
Norway forward Erling Haaland and nine other regular starters needed more rest than finishing in first place in their World Cup group. "It was an easy decision," said coach Ståle Solbakken after the 4-1 defeat against France that left Norway second in the group. "The fans all over Norway and also in the arena will definitely want to see Erling. But that is not the main problem. We want to go as far as possible in this tournament."
Already in the knockout stages but with a chance of winning the group if they beat France, Solbakken decided to rest the 10 players who started the previous match. France, who won the 2018 World Cup and lost in the final four years ago, led 3-1 thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé, and booked a last-32 tie against the third-placed side.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little surprised, for sure," said French defender Jules Koundé. "No matter which player we face, we always try to give our best and win. We wanted to finish in first place in the table, and that's what we did, so we're quite happy with the result."
Norway should win against France to win the group as they were behind on goal difference before the match. Instead, Norway will meet Ivory Coast, also runners-up, on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Solbakken said that the team's short break after last Monday's win over Senegal convinced him that it was more important to rest the regular players than to chase wins. Among the changes, Egil Selvik was in goal in place of Orjan Nyland against France's regular line-up.
"I think it's a smart decision," midfielder Patrick Berg said. "Hopefully for us it's a long tournament. So being able to rest some players and at the same time give someone — who's been here for a few weeks and trained really hard — a chance to come out against one of the best teams, I think it's a win-win situation for us."
Haaland, the Manchester City striker who has been the Premier League's top scorer in three of the last four seasons, entered the day with four World Cup goals, tied for second with Brazil's Vinícius Júnior and France's Kylian Mbappé, and trailing only Argentina's Lionel Messi.
However, Norway fans who spent thousands to travel to the United States and much more for their match tickets were forced to miss out on one of the World Cup's star attractions.
“I feel this consideration,” Solbakken said. "But we have given them some wins, and we have given them the opportunity to watch more games... We are here to continue as far as possible. And I need to make the decision to continue as long as possible."