Norway faces Ivory Coast in the round of 16 after a 1-4 loss to France. Coach Ståle Solbakken's substitutions have been heavily debated, but now critics get a response from Per Joar «Perry» Hansen and Øyvind Eide.

What happened?

Former national team assistant Per Joar «Perry» Hansen has no sympathy for critics who think Norway should have played with its biggest stars. He believes Solbakken shows exactly what top sports are about.

Why is it important for Norway?

Football expert and Uefa Pro coach Øyvind Eide thinks critics are extremely short-sighted. – What many forget is that Solbakken is coaching a tournament, not individual games. That's a significant difference, explains Eide.

What comes next?

The team will now travel from Greensboro to 35 degrees of heat in Dallas to face Ivory Coast, but with fresh legs on the assumed first eleven. | Date | Opponent | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-27 | Netherlands | 2-1 loss |

Norway has one win, one draw, and one loss in the last three games. The next match is against Portugal at home on 2026-09-27.