Norway’s national team coach Ståle Solbakken has a problem most Nordic football fans would have killed for a few years ago. His squad is deep into a World Cup run, and the players are running on fumes.
Medical tests after an 80-minute group-stage match revealed fatigue in five to six players, prompting Solbakken to rest 10 first-team regulars, including Erling Haaland, for a subsequent game. Now, as Norway prepares for a quarterfinal clash against England, some players are reportedly dealing with coughs and general weakness from the grind of travel, air conditioning, and the relentless pressure of tournament football.
Norway’s best run in nearly three decades
Norway reaching the World Cup quarterfinals is a genuinely big deal. The last time they got this far was 1998, when Tore André Flo was the name on everyone’s lips.
This time, the catalyst is Haaland. The striker scored a decisive brace in a 2-1 victory over Brazil, essentially dragging his country into the knockout rounds through sheer force of will.
