Why did Ståle Solbakken Drop Haaland, Odegaard in Norway vs France FIFA World Cup 2026?

The Vikings of Norway are all set to take on Didier Deschamps' France in their final group stage game of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Both teams have sealed qualification to the Round of 32 with two wins in a row, and will probably look to rotate their players to keep them fresh for the knockouts.

However, a win for either team in this game will take them to the top of the table, which will ensure a significantly easier opponent in the first knockout round, and that's what makes this game somewhat crucial.

The lineups of both teams have been out by now, but we will be particularly focusing on the Norway national football team here, who are playing in their first FIFA World Cup since 1998. With statement wins against Iraq and Senegal, Ståle Solbakken's look forward to having a good outing once again to wrap up their knockout preparations on a high note.

Some of the big names associated with the team are one of the best strikers in the world currently, Erling Haaland, and the current Premier League winner, Martin Odegaard, who have been instrumental in Norway's run so far.

Fans are looking for answers to ‘Is Haaland playing today’ as the priority of this matchup is somewhat low due to Norway's sealed fate in qualification. Join us as we address the ‘Is Haaland playing today' query and find out what the Norway lineup vs France is in this FIFA World Cup match.

Haaland, Odegaard Start On The Bench In Norway vs France

As things stand, both Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have been rested for this game against Kylian Mbappe's France. The duo might feature in the second half, given the demand of the game.

The two players have a combined G/A of 6 in this tournament so far, which shows how important they are to Solbakken's setup. Crystal Palace's Jørgen Strand Larsen starts as the number nine in place of the Manchester City striker, while Oscar Bobb replaces Martin Odegaard in the midfield. Fans will have to wait for the highly anticipated Haaland-Mbappe a bit more than expected.

There are a lot of other changes in the Norway lineup; check it out below.

Selvik; Aursnes, Falchener, Ostigard, Bjorkan; Berg, Thorstvedt; Bobb, Aasgaard, Schjelderup; Strand Larsen