Norway’s Manager Put It Bluntly: He Wouldn’t Trade Haaland for Anybody

Stale Solbakken isn’t playing games with hypotheticals. After Erling Haaland scored a late winner to send Norway past Ivory Coast 2-1 and into the World Cup round of 16, the Norway boss was asked if he’d swap his star striker for anyone else on the planet. His answer was immediate and definitive.

“I would never swap him for anyone because he’s the greatest goal scorer in world football today,” Solbakken said. Not exactly a hot take, but coming from a manager who just watched his team grind out a win against a tough African side, it carried weight.

Haaland’s Quiet Game, Loud Result

It wasn’t a vintage Haaland performance. He had one big chance in the first half and didn’t bury it. For long stretches, the Ivory Coast defense kept him quiet. But that’s the thing with players like him — you blink and they decide the game. Haaland got his moment, scored the winner, and Norway is moving on to face Brazil in the knockout stage.

Solbakken pointed out something interesting about Haaland’s game that often gets overlooked. “I think he’s really underrated in terms of keeping the ball up. He didn’t lose one ball today. He wasn’t that much involved, but he didn’t lose any balls.” That’s not the flashy stat that makes highlights, but it’s the kind of detail managers notice.

Five Goals in Three Games for a Small Nation

Haaland now has five goals in three World Cup matches. For a country like Norway that doesn’t exactly have a deep history of global dominance, that’s remarkable. Solbakken acknowledged it pretty honestly. “To score five goals in the World Cup in three games for a little country like Norway, I don’t think even he had thought that he could do that before.”

The striker also brings a calmness to the group, according to his manager. When you’ve got a guy who’s scored for fun at every level, his teammates know that one good ball into the box can turn the game. Norway isn’t a one-man team — they’ve got other pieces — but Haaland is the reason nobody wants to draw them in the knockout bracket.

Norway now faces Brazil, which is about as tough a test as it gets. But with Haaland in the lineup, they’ve got a puncher’s chance. And Solbakken made it clear he wouldn’t trade that for anything.