'We wouldn't have won anyway!' - Erling Haaland defends Norway coach's decision to rest star players in France thrashing

Erling Haaland has come to the defence of manager Stale Solbakken's controversial decision to rest multiple key players during Norway's heavy defeat to France, insisting the result would not have differed even with his nation's strongest lineup on the pitch.

Solbakken drew widespread criticism after making ten changes to his starting XI for the crucial World Cup group-stage clash, with only Frederik Aursnes retaining his place from the previous match. Star players including Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Antonio Nusa were left on the bench as the manager prioritised keeping them fresh for the knockout stages.

Despite first place in the group remaining mathematically possible, Solbakken defended his rotation policy by emphasising his primary objective was maximising Norway's chances of progressing deep into the tournament. He stated: "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 travelling fans who wanted to see Erling, Martin and the other stars."

Haaland backed his manager and dismissed suggestions that Norway's strongest side could have changed the outcome against France. "I said beforehand that I don't care and that is still the case," Haaland admitted. "France was the better team anyway. Even with our strongest 11 I don't think we could have beaten them."

The Manchester City striker praised France's quality after witnessing Les Bleus' dominant display. "France has world-class players everywhere," Haaland added. "Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, they just keep coming. They will pose a problem for any team and I honestly think they can go very far. What they showed against us was terrifying."

Norway now turn their attention to their Round of 32 encounter with Ivory Coast, where Solbakken is expected to recall his first-choice squad.