Norway’s World Cup run has been one of the best stories of the tournament. Young, fearless, and led by Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland, they’ve knocked out Ivory Coast and Brazil. Now they’re staring down England in the quarterfinals. And for a few days, it looked like they might be doing it while half the squad was sick.
A report surfaced that multiple Norwegian players had come down with flu-like symptoms ahead of the match against Thomas Tuchel’s England side. Danish outlet Dagbladet cited unnamed sources. Then Norway manager Stale Solbakken admitted there had been some coughing and rasping in camp. Suddenly, English tabloids had themselves a story: Norway was weakened. The timing was perfect for a narrative.
Doctor says it’s overblown. Players say otherwise.
Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand was blunt when asked about the reports. He told Nettavisen that all players are healthy now and that the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. “Very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks,” Sand said. He even seemed amused by the English media coverage. “So great that they believe this. We are in control.”
But here’s where it gets messy. Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who missed Norway’s opening game against France, told Nettavisen that he spent two days in a hospital bed and was really sick. That doesn’t exactly scream nothing to see here. Strand Larsen has since recovered, but it confirms that illness has hit the camp at some point.
Solbakken tried to walk the line. He didn’t deny the coughing and rasping. But he made it clear that Strand Larsen was the only player with a fever. “There’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There’s 50 people in our traveling party. It would be strange if something or other didn’t crop up,” Solbakken said. Which is basically a long way of saying it’s not a big deal.
Why this matters beyond the sniffles
Norway came into this tournament as the youngest squad in the field. Nobody expected them to reach the quarterfinals. But they’ve played fast and loose, and Haaland has looked like the best player on the planet at times. England, meanwhile, has grinded through the tournament. Tuchel’s team hasn’t been flashy, but they’ve been effective.
If Norway’s camp really is healthy, they’re a dangerous opponent. If there’s any lingering weakness, England has the depth to exploit it. Either way, the noise around sickness has been dealt with. Now we get to see which version of Norway shows up.
The match kicks off Saturday in Mexico City.
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