The highly anticipated World Cup Golden Boot showdown between French megastar Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland failed to materialize at the Boston Stadium, as Norway manager Stale Solbakken opted to bench his star forward in a sweeping tactical overhaul.
The gamble quickly backfired as Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele took center stage, nettting a stunning 25-minute first-half hat-trick to power Les Bleus to a comfortable 4-1 victory.
While France unleashed their premier attacking arsenal to seal the top spot in Group I, Norway deliberately excluded the Manchester City forward from their starting XI for the first time since 2024, making a whopping ten changes to their lineup.
Solbakken strongly defended his extreme rotation policy, labeling it a "no-brainer" dictated by the team's medical, physical, and conditioning departments following a grueling 3-2 victory over Senegal.
The manager acknowledged that the decision shortchanged thousands of traveling traveling supporters who paid premium prices to see Haaland and Martin Odegaard, but maintained that heavy fatigue across his defensive line made the squad rotation unavoidable.
In Haaland's absence, deputy striker Jorgen Strand Larsen endured a tough night, missing a crucial second-half penalty that would have narrowed the deficit to 3-2.
"If Erling Haaland needs a rest for the latter stages of the tournament he will take that," former England striker Ian Wright told ITV Sport, though he admitted surprise at the scale of the changes.
While France's group victory rewards them with a nearby Round of 32 clash at the New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30, Norway's second-place finish forces them into a grueling 1,100-mile logistical trek. Based out of Greensboro, North Carolina, the rested Norwegians must now fly to Arlington, Texas, to battle the Ivory Coast on the same day.
Football pundit Roy Keane validated Solbakken's long-term vision, noting that because Norway is adapting to its first World Cup tournament since 1998, securing qualification was the ultimate priority.
Assistant French coach Guy Stephan, standing in for Didier Deschamps—who temporarily flew home following the passing of his mother—echoed this sentiment, stating that the true wisdom of Norway's conservation strategy will be proven in their upcoming knockout clash.
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