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| Solbakken defended his decision to rest Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard despite Norway's 4-1 loss to France, saying the move was essential to prepare for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage. |
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken defended his decision to rest Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard after his team suffered a 4-1 defeat to France in their final Group I match of the FIFA World Cup at Boston Stadium.
Although the loss denied Norway a chance to finish top of the group, Solbakken said the extensive squad rotation was necessary to keep his players fresh for the knockout stage.
Norway made 10 changes to the starting lineup that defeated Senegal 3-2 in the previous match. Haaland and Odegaard were the most notable absentees from the starting XI.
France took control early, with Ousmane Dembele scoring a hat trick within the opening 32 minutes, one of the fastest World Cup hat tricks on record. Thelo Aasgaard briefly gave Norway hope by pulling one goal back before Dembele completed his treble.
Norway had an opportunity to narrow the gap early in the second half, but Jorgen Strand Larsen's penalty in the 50th minute was saved by Mike Maignan. Desire Doue sealed France's victory with a stoppage-time goal.
Despite the defeat, Norway advanced to the knockout stage and will face Ivory Coast, who have reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time.
Solbakken acknowledged that many supporters were disappointed not to see Haaland and Odegaard on the field. However, he stressed that the decision was made after discussions with the medical staff and the players.
"It was an obvious decision. The medical team and several players agreed that it would have been difficult for many of them to play," Solbakken said.
He emphasized that Norway's objective is to make a deep run in the tournament rather than focusing solely on winning every group-stage match.
"We're here to go as far as we can. Right now, it's about recharging our batteries. The only argument against resting those players is that the fans wanted to see Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, but that wouldn't help us survive a long World Cup campaign," he said.
Solbakken also described Ivory Coast as one of the tournament's most physically demanding teams and expects a highly competitive knockout match.
The Norway coach said his team's costly turnovers allowed France to capitalize through the pace and quality of Dembele and Kylian Mbappe.
Even so, Solbakken praised his players for continuing to create scoring opportunities throughout the match.
"We created chances throughout the game, including several clear opportunities in the first half. But against a team like France, you simply can't afford to lose possession in dangerous areas because they punish mistakes very quickly," he said.
Norway will now turn its full attention to the Round of 32, hoping the rested squad can deliver a stronger performance against Ivory Coast.
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