The match was promoted as a Golden Boot contest between France‘s Kylian Mbappe and Norway‘s prolific striker Erling Haaland. However, Haaland began the match on the bench, while Ousmane Dembele took center stage, scoring an impressive first-half hat-trick in just 25 minutes, leading Les Bleus to a commanding 4-1 victory at Boston Stadium.
While France showcased a formidable lineup aimed at securing World Cup success on July 19 in New Jersey, Norway opted to make significant changes. They left Haaland out of the starting XI for the first time since 2024 as coach Stale Solbakken made a staggering ten changes.
When asked about the reasoning behind such a move, Solbakken stated, “It was a no-brainer,” citing health concerns from both his side and the medical team, along with feedback from the players.
“The only consideration was for the Norway fans. They would have wanted to see Erling and Martin [Odegaard] play. After observing the Senegal match, we noted that five or six players showed signs of fatigue after 80 minutes,” he elaborated.
Due to the adjustments, Dembele seized the opportunity to shine, especially after Mbappe almost scored in the first minute with a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar. Former England striker Ian Wright remarked on ITV Sport that if Haaland needs rest for the later rounds, then it’s the right call.
Despite Haaland’s impressive four goals in the prior two group matches, his replacement Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a crucial penalty that could have narrowed the score to 3-2 after halftime.
Haaland, who scored twice in a 3-2 victory against Senegal earlier, expressed his thoughts ahead of facing France, indicating, “I couldn’t care too much about that game now; they’re likely to defeat us,” showing a clear recognition of France’s dominance.
Ten Changes – Was It Worth It?
In the end, France topped Group I with three solid wins, earning a last-32 match against the Group F or G runners-up at the nearby New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30. Meanwhile, Norway now faces an arduous 1,100-mile journey for their next game.
Stationed in Greensboro, North Carolina, Norway will travel to Arlington, Texas, to take on the Ivory Coast on the same day, a journey that could have been halved if they had topped their group.
Will a well-rested Norway team perform well in the last 16? If they succeed against Ivory Coast, they will advance to play in New Jersey on July 5 against the winners of Brazil versus Japan.
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin commented on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, “It’s quite complex considering the distances involved, especially if they lose.” Yet he acknowledged the importance of ensuring the team’s health for future games.
Wright expressed surprise at Norway’s extensive changes, particularly since they had maintained the same starting lineup for prior victories over Iraq and Senegal. Nevin added that Norway’s physical playing style could lead to injuries in key players if not managed carefully.
There’s a Bigger Picture
Solbakken emphasized the need for player rotation given the tight schedule leading up to the match against France. Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane empathized, likening the two teams’ expectations, with France aiming for the Cup and Norway focusing on simply advancing from the group.
France’s assistant coach Guy Stephan, filling in for Didier Deschamps, who was away for personal reasons, expressed understanding regarding Norway’s lineup changes, stating, “We knew they were qualified and would prepare for the knockout round.”
Many Norwegian fans invested heavily in traveling to the United States to support their team, and while some voiced confusion over the lineup decisions, others engaged in their customary celebratory rituals throughout the match.
Norway’s decision to make ten or more changes marked them as just the fourth team in World Cup history to do so in the same tournament, a feat previously achieved by Spain in 2006, although it didn’t lead to success for them in the knockout stage.
On a successful note, Belgium in 2018 managed to make ten adjustments and still won their match against Japan, eventually beating Brazil in the quarter-finals before facing defeat by France.