Norway striker Erling Haaland has defended his coach Stale Solbakken's decision to rest 10 players, including himself and Martin Odegaard, in the team's final FIFA World Cup league stage match against France. Norway lost the match, but Haaland insisted that even the strongest lineup would not have changed the outcome.
Haaland backs coach's rotation strategy
Speaking after the match, Haaland said, "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." The striker, who had scored two braces in Norway's first two games, was among the 10 players rested as Norway had already secured a spot in the round of 32 with two wins.
Solbakken made 10 changes to the starting lineup, with only Frederik Aursnes retaining his place from the previous match. The coach expressed regret only for the traveling fans who missed seeing the stars in action. "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," Solbakken said, as quoted by De Telegraaf via Goal.com.
France's dominance acknowledged
Haaland acknowledged the strength of the French team, which features world-class players across the pitch. "They have world-class players everywhere, such as Kylian Mbappe, hat-trick hero 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.
France's victory was highlighted by a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembele, underlining the depth of talent in the squad. The result did not affect Norway's progression, as they had already qualified for the knockout stage.
