Stale Solbakken defended a heavily changed Norway side after a 4-1 Group I loss to France, insisting the rotation was essential despite the scoreline and the stakes, as France clinched top spot while Norway had already secured qualification for the World Cup knockout stage.

Norway now prepare for a last‑32 tie against Ivory Coast, the Group E runners‑up, who reach the World Cup knockouts for the first time. Les Bleus, meanwhile, are currently on course to face Sweden in the next round, although that opponent could still change as results settle.

With progression already guaranteed after a 3-2 victory over Senegal, Solbakken made 10 alterations to the starting lineup, resting Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard among others. Norway therefore fielded what was effectively a second‑string team against France at Boston Stadium, prioritising freshness for the upcoming eliminator.

Solbakken accepted that many supporters were disappointed not to see the two stars but underlined that sports science and player feedback guided the decision. “It was a no-brainer, both on my part and from the physios and some players themselves,” Solbakken said. “They all said that it would be difficult for many of them. We are here to progress as far as we can. Now it’s about charging up the batteries.”

Norway’s 10 starting XI changes placed the team in select World Cup company. Since 2006, only Spain, Belgium and Brazil had previously made at least 10 alterations in a single tournament match, each doing so after qualification for the knockouts was already assured.

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Solbakken stressed that the long‑term tournament plan outweighed short‑term frustration. “The only argument for not doing what we did [resting 10 players] is that the fans around Norway and here could have seen Erling [Haaland] and Martin [Odegaard], but then it wouldn’t be a long World Cup, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Norway World Cup defeat shaped by Dembele hat-trick and missed chances

On the pitch, France seized control early. Ousmane Dembele completed a hat-trick inside 32 minutes, the second‑earliest treble in World Cup history. Thelo Aasgaard briefly cut the deficit before Dembele’s third, but Jorgen Strand Larsen then saw a 50th‑minute penalty saved by Mike Maignan.

Desire Doue added a fourth in second‑half stoppage time to seal Norway’s heaviest defeat of the tournament. The scoreline did not reflect Norway’s attacking threat, with several clear opportunities created, yet wasteful finishing and defensive turnovers allowed France to punish almost every mistake in transition.

Norway World Cup focus on Ivory Coast and tactical lessons

Attention now turns to Ivory Coast, with Solbakken expecting a demanding last‑32 contest. “We have a very heavy game against Ivory Coast and physically they are one of the best teams in the World Cup.Our game is a 50-50 game, and we have to be at our best.”

Solbakken highlighted how turnovers against France proved costly, especially with Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe attacking space. Since 1966, Dembele and Mbappe are only the third pairing to combine for five goals at a World Cup, matching Poland’s Andrzej Szarmach and Grzegorz Lato and Germany’s Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack.

The coach still praised Norway’s attacking play despite the defeat. “It goes very fast when we lose the ball a few times,” Solbakken added. “Offensively, we created chances throughout the whole game, so the boys should have credit for that. It was not only in the second half that we created chances, we created big chances. We had four big chances in the first half, so I think we deserve credit for it, but you can’t lose the ball in certain areas here, because it goes fast the other way.”

Norway leave the France match with lessons on ball security and finishing but also with belief that the rotated squad still created enough opportunities. With Haaland, Odegaard and the regular starters expected to return, Solbakken’s group now targets a deeper Norway World Cup run, starting against Ivory Coast.