Following Norway’s defeat to France in their final FIFA World Cup group stage match, striker Erling Haaland defended coach Stale Solbakken’s choice to rest ten players, including himself.
Haaland stated, “France was a better team anyway.”
Having secured a place in the round of 32 with two wins in their first two matches, Solbakken made substantial changes to the lineup for the final group game, resting key players such as Haaland and Martin Odegaard. Despite criticism of this strategy aimed at preserving players for the knockout stages, Haaland, who had scored two braces in prior games before being benched, supported the decision.
Frederik Aursnes was the sole player to retain his starting position from the previous match. Speaking to De Telegraaf, as reported by Goal.com, Solbakken said his only regret was that “the travelling fans” did not get to see their star players perform. “We are here to go as far as possible, and I have to make the decisions that I think will take us the furthest. The only thing I feel guilty about is the traveling fans who wanted to see Erling, Martin, and the other stars,” he commented.
Haaland also expressed support for his coach’s approach, noting that even the strongest possible eleven would not have changed the outcome. “I said beforehand that I do not care, and that is still the case. France was the better team anyway. Even with our strongest 11, I do not think we could have beaten them,” he stated.
He acknowledged the quality of the French squad, highlighting players such as Kylian Mbappe, hat-trick scorer Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise. “They will pose a problem for any team, and I honestly think they can go very far. What they showed against us was terrifying,” Haaland concluded.