In a highly anticipated World Cup match, Norway faced France without their star striker Erling Haaland, who was unexpectedly rested on the bench. What was expected to be a showdown between Haaland and Kylian Mbappe turned into a display of brilliance from Ousmane Dembele, who scored a stunning hat-trick, leading Les Bleus to a commanding 4-1 victory at Boston Stadium.

Norway's coach Stale Solbakken made a significant decision to rest Haaland and implemented a total of 10 changes to the starting lineup, citing health concerns for players after their previous matches. He stated, "A no-brainer" when explaining the rationale behind the changes, emphasizing the importance of player fitness over immediate competition.

Despite the lineup changes, Norway had previously secured their place in the knockout stages, which added to the complexity of Solbakken's decision. While Haaland had scored four goals in earlier group games, his absence was felt as Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a crucial penalty that could have altered the game dynamics.

France topped Group I with three wins, securing a last-32 match against the runners-up in Group F or G on June 30. In contrast, Norway now faces a challenging trip to Arlington, Texas to play Ivory Coast, significantly longer than if they had topped their group.

Critics like former England striker Ian Wright expressed surprise at the extent of Norway's changes, especially given their prior consistency in the lineup. The decision raised questions about the team's strategy moving forward, particularly in terms of maintaining a physical style of play without key players.

As Norwegian fans passionately supported their team, the decision to rest Haaland and make extensive changes drew mixed reactions. The outcome of Norway's next match against Ivory Coast on June 30 will determine their path in the tournament, with the potential to face the winners of Brazil vs. Japan in the last-16 on July 5. The stakes are high, and the effectiveness of Solbakken's strategy remains to be seen.