Norway head coach Stale Solbakken has confirmed that Erling Haaland's removal during the 2-1 extra-time defeat to England at the FIFA World Cup 2026 was driven entirely by physical necessity — not tactical choice.

Speaking after the match, Solbakken was candid about his striker's condition:

"It was not a tough decision to take him out, because he was finished. Maybe I should have taken him out ten minutes before."

Haaland had been among the tournament's most devastating attackers, scoring seven goals across five matches for Norway. Solbakken acknowledged the toll that relentless output had taken on his captain.

"Obviously, he has had a tremendous World Cup, he used all his energy and power game after game after game. I think he also got a dead leg in the second half, so that combined with the fatigue."

Crystal Palace forward Jorgen Strand Larsen came on to replace Haaland at the start of the second half of extra-time, with Norway still searching for a leveller. Solbakken added that his striker had been unfortunate in several moments before being withdrawn.

"He did everything that he could, I think he was a bit unlucky in a couple of situations. But he scored seven goals in five games for us — he had a fantastic World Cup."

How England progressed

Norway had taken the lead through Andreas Schjelderup's 36th-minute opener in Miami. Jude Bellingham brought England level on the stroke of half-time, and the Real Madrid midfielder then struck three minutes into extra-time to seal a 2-1 victory.

The result sends England into their fourth-ever FIFA World Cup semi-final. With the Manchester City striker watching from the dugout in the closing minutes, England's defence held firm to complete the comeback.