2026 World Cup: Norway ignores Erling Haaland against France and loses heavily
By OnzeActu · · 2 min read
Opposing France, Norway surprised by leaving their star striker Erling Haaland on the bench and making ten changes. This strategy of rest led to a 4-1 defeat against the Blues, although led by a sparkling Ousmane Dembélé.
The long-awaited clash between top scorer Erling Haaland and French star Kylian Mbappé, in search of the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot, ultimately did not take place. Norway chose to rest its flagship striker against France, fielding a very revised eleven in Boston, with ten changes compared to its previous group matches. This choice was described as “non-questionable” by coach Stale Solbakken, highlighting the recommendations of the medical staff and the need to spare his players for the knockout phase. The Norwegian technician explained that several players, notably the defense and certain midfielders, were worn out from the 80th minute of the previous match against Senegal.
Deprived of their major scorer Haaland who had scored four goals in the first two matches, Norway saw his replacement Jorgen Strand Larsen miss a decisive penalty before France finally won 4-1. This meeting gave rise to the demonstration of Ousmane Dembélé, author of a hat-trick in just 25 minutes, after a first shot from Mbappé on the crossbar at the start of the match.
Image
The choice of Norway, which has already ensured its qualification for the round of 16, sparks a debate on its relevance. The trip for the next match will in fact be longer because, by finishing second in Group I, Norway will have to travel from Greensboro (North Carolina) to Arlington (Texas) to face the Ivory Coast, while a group title would have involved a significantly shorter journey. However, observers believe that preserving key players for the final stages, notably Haaland, is an understandable decision given their relative expectations in this tournament.
Former international Roy Keane highlighted the differences in ambition between France, favorites for the title, and Norway, whose main objective was to reach the round of 16. On the French side, deputy Guy Stéphan, replacing Didier Deschamps currently in France, said he was not surprised by the many Norwegian changes and remained confident to see if this strategy was the right one in the days to come.
Note that Norway becomes only the fourth nation to make ten or more changes during the same World Cup for a match in the same edition, joining Spain in 2006 and Belgium in 2018, whose results were varied. This long process of physical and tactical management will be crucial for the rest of the tournament, as Norway will challenge Ivory Coast, then potentially the winner of the Brazil-Japan duel in the round of 16.