Norway’s World Cup run has been one of the best stories of the tournament. But heading into Saturday’s quarterfinal against England, the chatter isn’t just about their upset win over Brazil. It’s about whether half the squad is sick.
Team doctor Ola Sand is here to clear that up. She told Norwegian outlet Nettavisen that every single player is healthy and available for the match. No fevers. No mystery bugs. Just a team that’s been together for nearly six weeks in close quarters, which means a few coughs are basically inevitable.
“All players are healthy now,” Sand said. “Very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks. So great that [the English media] believe this. We are in control.”
The rumors started after Norway’s head coach Stale Solbakken mentioned that a few guys had been dealing with minor symptoms. He told reporters after the Brazil game that Jorgen was the only one who actually had a fever, but there had been “a bit of coughing and rasping” scattered through the squad. He also pointed out that with over 50 people traveling, flying, and hanging out in air-conditioned locker rooms, it would be weird if nobody caught anything.
Still, the timing wasn’t great. Forward Jorgen Strand Larsen missed some training before the tournament opener. Defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen was out for the Brazil game because he was sick. And Solbakken himself was caught coughing during a post-match press conference, which set off alarm bells for anyone watching closely.
But Sand is pushing back hard against the idea that Norway is walking into this game shorthanded. She says the squad is fully fit, and the illness talk is basically nothing.
England will probably test that claim. The quarterfinal is the biggest game in Norwegian soccer history. They’ve never been this deep in a World Cup. And now they’re facing a team that’s been rolling through the bracket without much drama. If Norway pulls this off, the sickness story will just be a footnote. If they don’t, it’s going to be a what-if that sticks around for years.
Either way, Sand made one thing clear: they’re not making excuses before the whistle blows.
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