Why is Erling Haaland benched for Norway vs France in FIFA World Cup 2026?

Erling Haaland started in Norway’s two opening fixtures.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently underway with the final round of its group stage fixtures, with the tournament witnessing moments that will be etched into history. Norway are set for a high-stakes encounter against France in a heavyweight clash at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts, USA.

Despite playing sixteen matches between them, Norway and France are set to feature in their first-ever World Cup meeting. Both nations currently sit in 1st and 2nd place, respectively, with 6 points, confirming their qualification to the Round of 32, with the battle now set for the top spot.

Ståle Solbakken updates on Erling Haaland’s role against France

Erling Haaland is benched for their fixture against France, despite being fully available. Manager Solbakken justified that the decision was taken in consideration of resting key talents ahead of their Round of 32 fixture to ensure complete match fitness,

“Knowing the prerequisites… we don’t know how many games we will get. It is 100% certain that we will need to be rested for the round of 32, mentally and physically. It could be that we have to play 30 minutes of extra time or penalties.”

“It is an important game (against France), but the most important is the round of 32.”

Erling Haaland was one of the confirmed starters for Norway’s World Cup return campaign after 28 years, fully adapting to the team’s physical demands and proving to be completely unstoppable with an excellent outing in his domestic season with Manchester City.

His tournament debut created headlines with an exceptional performance during Norway’s opening fixture against Iraq. He spearheaded the attack with his lethal finishing, terrorizing the opposition defence with intense pressurization, leading Norway to a dominant 4-1 victory.

He continued his clinical form against a highly competitive Senegal side in their second group stage fixture. Haaland had a brilliant outing, massively utilizing his physical dominance, scoring another unbelievable brace to guide Norway to a thrilling 3-2 victory and securing knockout qualification, Norway’s second-ever progression after the 1998 edition.

However, the Norwegian team staff have prioritised retaining match fitness rather than tiring out the players, as the nation has already confirmed their knockout status. The team is set to feature a heavily rotated lineup, with talents like Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland set to make cameo appearances from the bench.

Norway are in Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a win guaranteeing their top finish and raising the overall team morale as they move to the Round of 32 fixture, with their opponent to be determined.

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