Will Erling Haaland Start For Norway Against Ivory Coast? What We Know After Being Rested Vs France

Erling Haaland did not kick a ball in Norway's 4-1 defeat to France on Friday, one of 10 changes coach Stale Solbakken made to a side that had already secured Round of 32 qualification before kickoff. With Norway facing Ivory Coast today, Tuesday, June 30, in the Round of 32 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, all signs point to Haaland returning to the starting lineup.

Why Haaland Was Rested Against France

Solbakken made his decision before Norway had even kicked off against France, calling the call to rest Haaland, Martin Odegaard and eight other first-team players a "no-brainer" based on medical tests showing fatigue across the squad. "Knowing the prerequisites, we don't know how many games we will get. It is 100% certain that we will need to be rested for the round of 32 mentally and physically. It could be that we have to play 30 minutes of extra time or penalties in the knockouts," he explained before the match. Norway had already wrapped up qualification with wins over Iraq and Senegal, during which Haaland scored back-to-back braces, leaving him on four goals heading into the knockout rounds, tied with Mbappe and one behind Messi's tournament-leading five.

Fans inside the stadium in Foxborough chanted "We want Haaland" after missing the chance to see him face Mbappe directly, but Solbakken stood firm. "Erling and Martin are team players; they know what is best for the team. The fans want to see them, but hopefully, we can give them some good summer nights in the next few weeks."

What to Expect From Haaland Against Ivory Coast Today

With the rest period behind them, both Haaland and Odegaard are expected to return to Norway's starting eleven for today's must-win knockout tie. Ivory Coast reach this match with their own injury concern, as right-back Wilfried Singo remains a doubt after picking up a knock against Germany and missing the win over Curacao. Ivory Coast's Yan Diomande, who leads the tournament in key passes among his teammates with 10, presents a creative threat Norway's much-changed defence against France will not see in this fixture.

Kick-off is at 12 noon local time in Arlington, Texas, 5pm GMT and 6pm BST. The match airs on FOX Sports in the United States, BBC One in the UK, and a range of regional broadcasters across Africa and Norway. For Haaland, the wait is over. For Norway, the knockout stage starts for real today.