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Social media was not impressed by Norway subbing off Erling Haaland with their World Cup on the line
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36'
Goal Andreas SCHJELDERUP (Norway) scores!!
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45'+2'
Goal Jude BELLINGHAM (England) scores!!
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93'
Goal Jude BELLINGHAM (England) scores!!
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117'
Yellow card Kristoffer AJER (Norway) is booked by
Norway squad
- Selected
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1 Orjan NYLAND Goalkeeper
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3 Kristoffer AJER Defender
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5 David MOLLER WOLFE Defender
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6 Patrick BERG Midfielder
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7 Alexander SORLOTH Forward
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8 Sander BERGE Midfielder
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9 Erling HAALAND Forward
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10 Martin ODEGAARD C Midfielder
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17 Torbjorn HEGGEM Defender
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21 Andreas SCHJELDERUP Midfielder
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26 Julian RYERSON Forward
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2 Morten Thorsby Midfielder
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4 Leo OSTIGARD Defender
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11 Jorgen STRAND LARSEN Forward
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12 Sander TANGVIK Goalkeeper
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13 Egil SELVIK Goalkeeper
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14 Fredrik AURSNES Midfielder
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15 Fredrik Andre BJORKAN Defender
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16 Marcus HOLMGREN PEDERSEN Defender
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18 Kristian Thorstvedt Midfielder
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19 Thelo AASGAARD Midfielder
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20 Antonio NUSA Forward
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22 Oscar BOBB Midfielder
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23 Jens Petter HAUGE Midfielder
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24 Sondre LANGAS Defender
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25 Henrik FALCHENER Defender
England squad
- Selected
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1 Jordan PICKFORD Goalkeeper
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2 Ezri KONSA Defender
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3 Nico OREILLY Defender
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4 Declan RICE Midfielder
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5 John STONES Defender
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6 Marc GUEHI Defender
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8 Elliot ANDERSON Midfielder
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9 Harry KANE C Forward
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10 Jude BELLINGHAM Midfielder
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18 Anthony GORDON Forward
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20 Noni MADUEKE Forward
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7 Bukayo SAKA Forward
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11 Marcus RASHFORD Forward
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12 Trevoh CHALOBAH Defender
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13 Dean Henderson Goalkeeper
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14 Jordan HENDERSON Midfielder
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15 Dan BURN Defender
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16 Kobbie MAINOO Midfielder
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17 Morgan ROGERS Midfielder
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19 Ollie WATKINS Forward
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21 Eberechi EZE Midfielder
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22 Ivan TONEY Forward
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23 James TRAFFORD Goalkeeper
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24 Reece JAMES Defender
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25 Djed SPENCE Defender
- Full squad
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26 Jarell QUANSAH Defender
Norway's World Cup campaign ended in a quarterfinal defeat to England, with the match decided 2-1. The result was overshadowed by controversy surrounding Norway's decision to substitute Manchester City's Erling Haaland, one of the tournament's most prominent attackers, despite his earlier scoreless performance in that particular match.
Haaland had been a standout performer throughout the competition with seven goals prior to the England fixture. His removal from the pitch prompted significant backlash on social media, with observers questioning the tactical reasoning behind benching a player of his calibre at such a critical stage of the tournament.
In short
- Norway eliminated from World Cup after 2-1 quarterfinal loss to England
- Erling Haaland, the team's star performer with 7 tournament goals, was unexpectedly substituted
- Social media users expressed disapproval of the coaching decision to remove him
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Making tactical adjustments mid-match based on how the opposition is set up and how individual players are performing is a manager's core responsibility. If Haaland was struggling to influence the game against England's defensive approach, substituting him to try a different tactical system or provide fresh legs was a legitimate managerial decision. Squad rotation and tactical flexibility are essential at the highest level, and no player is exempt from being replaced if the manager judges the change beneficial.
The case against
In a knockout tournament where the stakes could not be higher, a team should keep its most dangerous attacking weapon on the pitch. Haaland's seven goals made him Norway's standout performer, and world-class strikers create opportunities through moments of individual brilliance even in difficult matches. Substituting your best player at this critical stage represents a loss of conviction and wastes the team's greatest competitive advantage.
Explained simply
Erling Haaland is Manchester City's star striker and one of the world's top goalscorers. He had been in exceptional form for Norway throughout the World Cup, scoring seven times before the team's quarterfinal against England.
In that quarterfinal, Haaland did not score and Norway lost 2-1. Despite his unsuccessful performance in that particular match, the manager still chose to take him off the pitch, removing one of the tournament's most prolific scorers.
The decision prompted significant debate on social media about the tactical choice. Many observers questioned whether it was wise to remove such a prominent player at such a critical stage, particularly given his strong overall tournament performance.